EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Higher Education Bill

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many of the Higher Education Bill's (a) clauses and (b) schedules were (i) debated, (ii) partially debated and (iii) not debated during the recent committee stage.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 23 March 2004
	25 clauses of the bill were formally debated during Committee Stage. Debates over fourteen sessions were both wide-ranging and detailed. Debate on the fees provisions lasted for seven committee sessions, and ensured a very full exploration of the Government's policy on tuition fees. A similarly long debate on the Government's proposal to establish an Office for Fair Access lasted for three Committee sessions. 25 clauses and seven schedules were not debated. Among the clauses not debated are 10 clauses that cover technical, interpretative or commencement provisions. The wide-ranging discussion on several clauses meant that the debates touched on a number of issues associated with later clauses that were not formally reached.
	In order to ensure that the policies and legislation in the Higher Education Bill were debated in detail, the Government encouraged the extension of several Committee sessions into the evening and added an extra day to the time allotted for Committee stage.

TREASURY

Ouzo

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans the Government have to make an additional submission to the European Court of Justice regarding the level of excise duty levied by the Greek Government on ouzo.

John Healey: Officials from Customs, DTI and DEFRA are in the process of considering the legal and practical implications of such an approach to the European Court of Justice.

Bicycles

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue was collected from the (a) import and (b) sale of bicycles in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by (i) country of origin and (ii) number of machines in each case.

John Healey: The number of non-motorised bicycles and other cycles (including delivery tricycles) 1 imported in 2003 from non-EU countries and the value of the revenue declared, broken down by country of origin, is shown in the following table:
	1 Classified under commodity code 8712.
	
		
			 Country oforigin Supplementary units (number) Customs duty VAT Anti-dumping duty 
		
		
			 Vietnam 695,302 3,431,085 4,972,919 0 
			 Taiwan 666,837 4,440,437 5,886,069 1,177,805 
			 Philippines 566,543 1,121,187 2,127,414 0 
			 Bangladesh 348,234 20,983 1,969,880 0 
			 Thailand 311,923 697,388 1,264,953 0 
			 Sri Lanka 297,825 398,525 777,177 0 
			 China 148,690 411,432 942,913 1,133,348 
			 Tunisia 140,309 0 565,686 0 
			 India 139,083 143,705 286,921 0 
			 Poland 99,872 2,751 656,036 0 
			 Indonesia 81,639 322,344 608,278 0 
			 Bulgaria 66,698 0 316,292 0 
			 Turkey 17,040 5,293 121,757 0 
			 Hong Kong 12,926 86,467 118,037 0 
			 Hungary 11,032 0 85,298 0 
			 USA 5,722 320,545 429,810 0 
			 Macao 1,975 17,476 24,113 0 
			 Canada 1,300 42,490 57,378 0 
			 Liechtenstein 978 0 11,556 0 
			  Czech Republic527 1,847 4,799 0 
			 South Korea 497 2,767 3,900 0 
			 Brazil 271 1,261 2,457 0 
			 Japan 105 264 365 0 
			 New Zealand 39 1,356 1,846 0 
			 Australia 14 1,842 2,489 0 
			 Switzerland 9 0 2,021 0 
			 Malaysia 3 286 423 0 
			 Total 3,615,393 11,1731,726 21,240,787 2,311,153 
		
	
	Source:
	Overseas Trade Statistics, HMCE.
	Imports from the EU are not subject to Customs duty. VAT is accounted for on acquisition but information is not available on VAT collected by commodity. Data collected on imports of bicycles from the EU do not include the member state of origin.
	Sales of bicycles in the UK in 2002 using Office for National Statistics figures for household expenditure on the purchase of all bicycles were £974 million. Information on VAT collected by commodity is not available.

Bicycles

John Thurso: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level and nature of taxes and other charges made by the Government relating to the (a) import and (b) sale of bicycles in the UK.

John Healey: The full rate of Customs Duty for bicycles imported from non-EU countries is 15 per cent. of total value.
	Reduced rates of duty varying from zero to 10.5 per cent. are applicable to particular countries of origin. Full information on these rates is contained in the Customs and Excise Tariff.
	EU Anti-Dumping duties at a rate of 30.6 per cent. of value are currently imposed on importations of bicycles from the Republic of China. Similar duties at a rate of 18.2 per cent. were in force during 2003 on importations from Taiwan. These expired on 26 February 2004.
	VAT on bicycles, both imported and home-produced, is charged at the UK standard rate of 17.5 per cent. on the total amount payable by the purchaser.

Customs (Staffing)

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what effect the proposed merger of HM Customs and Excise with the Inland Revenue and reduction in staffing levels will have on the number of frontline uniformed customs officers in (a) the UK, (b) Scotland, (c) the Highlands and Islands and (d) Orkney and Shetland; and if he will make a statement.

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which posts will be lost in HM Customs and Excise service under his plan to reduce numbers of civil servants.

John Healey: holding answer 23 March 2004
	The Chancellor has announced in this year's Budget the creation of a new Department, integrating the work of HM Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue.
	The new Department will be tasked with delivering the benefits of improved customer service, in particular reducing compliance costs, and improved compliance with tax law, as well as greater efficiency.
	The reforms announced dovetail with the work conducted by the Gershon efficiency review. The integration of the departments, along with existing plans and proposed efficiency reforms, will create scope for overall savings equivalent to 14,000 posts by 2008. On the basis of policy commitments and plans to increase front line staffing in some areas, this will result in an overall reduction equivalent to 10,500 posts by 2008.
	The location and nature of staffing changes will be determined in detailed business planning to be undertaken by the revenue departments and their new Executive Chairman, when appointed, who will be consulting as appropriate with all key stakeholders including trade unions.
	Customs expertise in working at the borders to protect national security, collect revenue, facilitate trade and prevent smuggling will continue to play a vital role in the new integrated department.

EU Waste and Fraud

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the systems which are available to (a) control and (b) prevent (i) waste and (ii) fraud within the European Union; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of those procedures.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 25 March 2004
	The Paymaster General made a full statement on these issues on 23 February in the debate in European Standing Committee B on the European Court of Auditors annual report and the Commission's Fight Against Fraud report. A further detailed assessment is provided in the Government's annual White Paper on the EC Budget and measures to counter fraud and financial mismanagement, the latest version of which was published in April 2003 [Cm 5800].

Public Service Agreement Targets

Tony Wright: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will place in the Library the guidance provided to Departments on how they should report progress and achievement against their Public Service Agreement targets.

Paul Boateng: A copy of the guidance issued for the spring 2004 departmental reports has been placed in the Library. This includes guidance on reporting against Public Service Agreement targets.

Working Tax Credit

Paul Goodman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of overpayment in the year to April 2004 of the child care element of the Working Tax Credit due to (a) fraud, (b) claimant error and (c) departmental error.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 5 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1003–1004W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Free Television Licences

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will amend the regulations on free television licences for those under the age of 75 in care homes.

Estelle Morris: Television licence fee regulations laid before Parliament on 11 March this year and due to come into force on 1 April include amendments to the rules governing the £5 Accommodation for Residential Care concessionary scheme, principally in response to changes in care homes legislation or for the clarification of entitlement. These amendments are not intended to make any changes of substance to the scope of the scheme's coverage. The Government have no plans at present for any wider changes to the concessionary scheme, but have made clear that the future funding of the BBC will be considered as part of the Charter review process. This will include a detailed examination of the concessionary arrangements.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Criminal Justice System (Women Professionals)

David Heath: To ask the Minister for Women what recent discussions she has had with the (a) Lord Chancellor and (b) Law Officers on the role of women professionals in the criminal justice system.

Patricia Hewitt: My colleagues and I agree that the more our Criminal Justice System reflects the society it serves, the better it will be.
	I was delighted when Dame Brenda Hale was appointed the first women Law Lord in this country.

Alcohol

Patsy Calton: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Health on women and alcohol.

Patricia Hewitt: None. However the analysis that underpins the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England, published by the Government last week, highlights some key issues for women. Nearly one in five women now exceed 14 units of alcohol each week; on one in five occasions when women drink they do so to excess. The strategy will help tackle alcohol-related harm and its causes.

Career Opportunities (South-east)

John Denham: To ask the Minister for Women what assessment she has made of the career opportunities open to women in the south-east of England.

Jacqui Smith: As my hon. Friend is aware, the Department is concerned to promote women's economic participation nationally.
	The major changes my right hon. Friend has introduced to support flexible working and work-life balance—rights to request flexible working, increased maternity leave and pay, and paternity leave—are all making a real difference to women's participation.
	I have tasked the Regional Development Agencies in the south-east, as elsewhere, to develop economic strategies that focus, among other things, on women's jobs and careers. The Government have increased funding to the RDAs in order to deliver these strategies.

Equal Opportunities

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on equal opportunities for professional women in appointments to senior positions in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003.

Patricia Hewitt: This Government are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for professional women in appointments to senior positions. The precise figures asked for are not available but since 1999 the number of women directors of a FTSE 100 company has increased from 6 per cent. to 9 per cent. In public appointments 36 per cent. of posts are held by women, an increase of 4 per cent. from 1998; and in the Civil Service, women hold 23 per cent. of the 600 top posts compared with 13 per cent. in 1998.

Civil Service (Pension Entitlement)

Colin Challen: To ask the Minister for Women what steps are being taken to ensure that women in the Civil Service do not suffer from a gender gap in pension entitlement.

Jacqui Smith: The Civil Service pension scheme is a final salary scheme. Benefits are worked out as a proportion of final pensionable earnings multiplied by years of service. Steps are being taken to ensure the Civil Service provides equal pay, to help women who want to maximise their years of service, and to remove barriers to progression. These will all help to ensure that women in the Civil Service do not suffer from a pension gap in pension entitlement.

DEFENCE

Afghanistan

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to expand the mandate of the provisional reconstruction teams in Afghanistan to enable them to respond to (a) human rights abuses, (b) factional clashes and (c) drugs production.

Adam Ingram: The objectives of the British-led Provincial Reconstruction Team are to help the Afghan Transitional Authority extend its influence, to stimulate the development of Security Sector Reform and the reconstruction effort and so to facilitate the development of a stable and secure environment in the Afghan regions. We have no plans to revise these objectives.

ALARM Missile

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long the ALARM missile will remain in service.

Adam Ingram: Under current planning assumptions, ALARM is due to remain in service until around the end of the next decade.

Armed Forces Postings

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many armed forces personnel have been posted to new locations in each of the last five years; and how many service families were required to move house within the UK and abroad in each year.

Adam Ingram: The Naval Service are unable to provide accurate figures on postings to new locations as their information system does not distinguish between drafts of a week and longer tours of duty. The information could therefore be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information on Army postings could also be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The number of RAF personnel posted to new locations is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Financial year Officers Ground Airmen 
		
		
			 1998–99 3,636 8,805 
			 1999–2000 3,822 8,587 
			 2000–01 4,156 8,105 
			 2001–02 3,511 7,943 
			 2002–03 3,601 7,783 
		
	
	The table details the number of postings for both officers and ground airmen. No statistics are held for Non Commissioned Aircrew as they tend to remain at the same unit for a number of years and therefore are likely to move around less often.
	Postings where no physical movement has occurred have been excluded from these statistics. No data on detachments/attachments or deployments has been included.
	The Defence Housing Executive records the numbers of moves into and moves out of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) in mainland UK. During 2003 around 24,000 SFA occupants moved within mainland UK or between SFA in Britain and married quarters overseas.
	Reliable figures are not readily available for previous years and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Army Personnel (Self-harm)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 14 October 2003, Official Report, column 317W, on Army Personnel (self-harm), if he will make a statement on progress in the collection and analysis of the existing information on incidents of deliberate self-harm in the army.

Ivor Caplin: The Department is considering whether it is feasible to collect information on incidents of self-harm that would be reliable and consistent between the three Services. The work in hand is looking at the identification and recording of such incidents, reporting systems, analysis and data protection. This is, however, a complex area and an early conclusion is unlikely.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent work his Department has carried out to assess the security implications for the UK of climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence is reviewing the implications of climate change for national security as part of its wider assessment of strategic trends which might impact on the United Kingdom's interests.

D-Day Commemoration

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which military bands will be attending commemorations for the 60th Anniversary of the Normandy Landings; of these bands, how many are being funded by (a) his Department and (b) other sources; and at which venues they each will be performing.

Ivor Caplin: Musical support will be provided by six bands, those of the Royal Marines (Scotland), the Normandy Band of the King's Division, the Royal Irish Regiment, the Parachute Regiment, the Army Air Corps and the Rifle Volunteers (Devon and Dorset). All are being funded by the Ministry of Defence: two centrally and four by unit budgets.
	Currently there are 18 separate events which will be supported by one or more bands. The main events for each band are as follows:
	Royal Marines—British Memorial Garden Reception afloat at Ouistreham on 4 June, tree-planting ceremony at Ouistreham on 5 June.
	King's Division—veterans' homage to Field Marshal Montgomery at Colleville-Montgomery on 5 June, inauguration of the British Memorial Garden and Beating Retreat at Caen on 5 June, Binational Ceremony at Bayeux on 6 June, International Parade at Arromanches on 6 June (or Royal Irish Regiment), final parade of the Normandy Veterans Association at Arromanches on 6 June.
	Royal Irish Regiment—inauguration of the British Memorial Garden and Beating Retreat at Caen on 5 June, International Parade at Arromanches on 6 June (or King's Division), final parade of the Normandy Veterans Association at Arromanches on 6 June.
	Parachute Regiment—veterans of 3 Parachute Brigade event at Le Mesnil on 5 June.
	Army Air Corps—inauguration of the HORSA glider at Ranville on 5 June, Remembrance Ceremony at Hermanville on 6 June.
	Rifle Volunteers—Royal British Legion service at Bayeux Cathedral on 6 June, 231 Brigade commemoration at Asnelles on 6 June.
	It is also expected that most of the bands will participate in the International Tattoo in Caen on the evening of 6 June, but the programme has yet to be finalised.

Data Protection

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made since the publication of the Hutton report of the right of employees of his Department to the protection of the Data Protection Act 1998 in relation to the disclosure of their names and identity to third parties without their consent.

Geoff Hoon: Lord Hutton makes no reference to the Data Protection Act in his report. No assessment has therefore been made of the rights of MOD employees to the protections of the Data Protection Act following the Hutton report.

Deepcut and Catterick Barracks

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 704W, on Deepcut and Catterick Barracks, with reference to the conclusion of the investigations by Surrey police, if he will order an independent inquiry into the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Surrey police, who retained primacy for investigating the deaths at Deepcut Barracks, have made no recommendation to the effect that an independent inquiry into the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch should be undertaken, and the Ministry of Defence has no plans to order one.

Deepcut and Catterick Barracks

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will list the external recommendations made by Brigadier Evans in his 1995 review of the Phase 2 training system at Deepcut barracks; how many of these recommendations were accepted; and what action was taken as a result;
	(2)  if he will list the internal recommendations made by Brigadier Evans in his 1995 review of the Phase 2 training system at Deepcut barracks; how many of these recommendations were accepted; what action was taken as a result; and what assessment was made of the applicability of these measures to other barracks.

Adam Ingram: Brigadier Evans' Review of the Phase 2 Training System within Deepcut made 30 detailed recommendations not all of which were accepted or adopted. I will write to my hon. Friend in more detail and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Defence Logistics Organisation

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the full costs will be of moving the Equipment Support (Air) Group from RAF Wyton to (a) Abbeywood and (b) the other possible locations being considered;
	(2)  in relation to the announcement made to staff at RAF Wyton on 26 January regarding the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) re-structuring, on what date the consultation ends; what the likely costs of this re-organisation are; what options other than a move to Abbeywood have been considered; and whether it is an option for other MOD centres for DLO to be moved to RAF Wyton;
	(3)  why the Defence Logistics Organisation Equipment Support (AIR) is changing its name to Domain 2*; and on what date the change will take place.

Adam Ingram: The Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) began formal consultation with the Trades Unions on 26 January about proposed changes to its structure. Detailed proposals, including possible changes of location, title or role, and associated costs, will flow from this initial consultation period.

Fire Study 2000

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on Fire Study 2000; and what plans he has for a further study.

Adam Ingram: I have received a number of representations concerning Fire Study 2000 from Members of Parliament, trade unions, and members of the Defence Fire Service. In particular these have concerned its relationship to the Airfield Support Services Project where the recommendations contained in Fire Study 2000 have also been used to inform the Public Sector Comparator.
	There are no plans for a further study.

Fire Study 2000

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to implement the recommendations of Fire Study 2000.

Adam Ingram: The recommendations contained in Fire Study 2000, identifying Fire Service efficiencies, also forms part of the Public Sector Comparator for the Airfield Support Services Project which is seeking to establish the most cost-effective method of maintaining a full airfield support service, without compromising operational effectiveness. No decisions have yet been made. However, should it be decided that a public-private partnership is not the best option then the Public Sector Comparator, including the recommendations contained in Fire Study 2000, would be implemented within two years. In the meantime we continue to examine what Fire Study efficiencies can be implemented pending the completion of the Airfield Support Services Project.

Fire Study 2000

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is his policy to require Fire Study 2000 to be subject to an independent specialist review to test its manpower and financial assumptions.

Adam Ingram: Fire Study 2000 was commissioned in order to review the Ministry of Defence's fire services and develop an optimum organisation in line with the Government's Strategic Defence Review. The results of the study have also been used to inform the Public Sector Comparator for the Airfield Support Services Project (ASSP). All Public Private Partnership Projects such as the ASSP are subject to independent review by MOD scrutineers supporting the Department's Investments Approvals Board and, in some cases, by Her Majesty's Treasury. The underlying assumptions in Fire Study 2000 are therefore being reviewed as part of the overall ASSP evaluation process.

Fisheries Control Agency

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is planned that Royal Navy fisheries protection vessels will operate under the control of the Fisheries Control Agency; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: We have no plans to change the existing arrangements between the Ministry of Defence and DEFRA for the operation of RN Fishery Protection vessels.

Haes Report

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions were reached by Lieutenant Colonel R. Haes report of 24 April 2001 concerning the exercise by the Army of the duty of care; what recommendations were made; how many of these have been acted upon; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

Adam Ingram: Lieutenant Colonel Haes' report on Army Training and Recruiting Agency Duty of Care and Supervision 98–01 made a significant number of wide-ranging recommendations. I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	Arrangements are being made to place a copy of the report in the Library of the House.

Interpreters

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) military and (b) non-military interpreters have been deployed to Iraq in each month since the beginning of hostilities in the country.

Adam Ingram: Currently there are 15 UK-based civilian and 17 UK military interpreters in Iraq. The number deployed in each month is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1050W, on Iraq, if he will list the complaints against UK troops that have been upheld which have been recorded centrally; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 16 March 2004
	We record centrally cases in which the Special Investigations Branch of the Royal Military Police investigates Iraqi civilian fatalities allegedly caused by United Kingdom forces. As at 17 March the SIB had investigated 21 alleged cases. 10 investigations have been completed. In three the SIB concluded that the soldier had acted within his Rules of Engagement; in four—of road traffic accidents—the fatality was found to have been a genuine accident; and in three it was concluded that there was no case to answer. The remaining 11 investigations are on-going.

Iraq

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make public the report of the Special Investigation Branch into the deaths of six members of the Royal Military Police killed in Iraq in June 2003.

Adam Ingram: In line with usual practice on the release of Service Police reports, we have no plans to make public the Special Investigation Branch (SIB) report into the deaths of the six RMPs who were killed in Al Majarr Al Kabir.
	On 22 January 2004, the SIB provided an extensive briefing to the families of the soldiers who died and have undertaken to provide them with further updates should significant further information come to light as the investigation continues.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bombing missions were aborted by RAF pilots during Operation Telic (a) in total and (b) owing to faulty target selection; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Royal Air Force aircraft aborted about 350 missions. 55 of these attacks were aborted due to inability to positively identify the target for example because it was obscured by smoke.

Iraq

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bombs were exploded in mid-air before reaching their targets during Operation Telic; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: None. The RAF does not possess in its inventory any weapons that can be detonated by the pilot after launch.

Iraq

Helen Liddell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the contribution of UK forces towards the re-opening of schools in the southern Iraqi provinces.

Adam Ingram: Work on schools is one of the Coalition's highest priorities in the reconstruction of Iraq. From the earliest weeks after the end of major combat operations on 1 May 2003 Coalition forces worked closely with UNICEF and other Non-Governmental Organisations to assess need and distribute packages of equipment. Since then a major refurbishment programme has been under way.
	As at 25 February, within the Multinational Division (Southeast) area, coalition forces have refurbished and/or granted financial aid packages to 1,824 schools. A large amount of school equipment has also been distributed, including over 15,000 chalkboards, 200,000 student kits and 23,000 desks.

Manning Control

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff were employed in the last year in administering manning control reviews in the Army; how much money was spent; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Manning Control

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many AFB6848 forms have been signed in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Statistics on how many AFB6848 are signed are not held centrally for longer than one year. During the period 1 March 2003 to 29 February 2004, some 28,000 AFB6848 were signed.

Marine Maddison

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2003, Official Report, column 244W, on Iraq, with reference to the conclusion of the Navy Board of Inquiry into the Death of Marine Maddison, if he will order an independent inquiry into the Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The facts surrounding the first Special Investigation Branch investigation of the death of Marine Maddison have been established by a Naval Board of Inquiry. All the lessons to be learned from this fatality are being vigorously pursued, and we await the independent verdict of a Coroner's Inquest. A further independent inquiry would serve no purpose.

Marine Maddison

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay the decision of his Department to claim, originally, that the death of Marine Maddison was caused through enemy action; at what level the decision was made to support and publicise this claim; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Department's initial position reflected the conclusion of the early, in-theatre investigation of Marine Maddison's death. When its conclusion that he was killed by enemy forces was found to be in error, this new information was conveyed at once to his next of kin with our deepest regrets. The error has also been fully acknowledged in public since the relevant Board of Inquiry was completed in December 2003.

Project Funding

Tony Colman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many (a) solely state-financed and (b) public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible have been launched in each region in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how much was spent by (a) the Government on solely state-financed projects and (b) the (i) Government and (ii) private sector on public-private and private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible, in each of the last 10 years, broken down by region.

Adam Ingram: Information relating to solely state-financed projects is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information regarding public-private partnership and private finance initiative projects is published in the Signed Projects List which can be found on the Treasury website at: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public private partnerships//ppp pfi stats.cfm.
	Additional and supplementary information can be found on the MOD website at: http://www.mod.uk/business/ppp/database.htm.

RAF Brampton and Wyton

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the assessment of whether there are alternative defence uses for (a) RAF Brampton and (b) RAF Wyton to be concluded.

Adam Ingram: No decisions have yet been made to relocate any existing function from either of the two sites. In any case, RAF Brampton and RAF Wyton are seen as having potential to accommodate a variety of other defence activities. It is, therefore, too early to say when final decisions on continued or alternative uses will be made. Any specific proposals will be subject to full consultation in due course.

Richard King

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recommendations were made by the Board of Inquiry into the death of Grenadier Guardsman Richard King; how many of these recommendations have been implemented; what further actions were taken against the 10 non-commissioned officers identified by the Special Investigation Branch and reported for neglect of duty; and how many of these officers have been promoted since the incident.

Adam Ingram: The Board of Inquiry into the death of Guardsman King concluded that appropriate remedial measures had been put in place since the incident and therefore made no recommendations.
	Investigations were conducted by both the South Wales Police and the Royal Military Police and the case was examined separately by both the Crown Prosecution Service and the Army Prosecuting Authority, neither of whom decided to prosecute any individual.
	Nine out of the 10 non-commissioned officers who were reported for neglect of duty have since been promoted.

Royal Navy

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of Re-launching the image of the Royal Navy—A three-year communication strategy, published in November 2001.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Single Entry System

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what conclusions were reached by Brigadier Mountford in his 1993 review of the single entry system; what recommendations he made; how many of these were acted upon; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

Adam Ingram: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Type 23 Frigates

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the programme for fitting Sonar 2087 to Type 23 frigates has changed since 16 September 2003.

Adam Ingram: There has been no change since the answer I gave on 16 September 2003, Official Report, column 709W, to the hon. Member.

Unexploded Ordnance

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what help will be given to QinetiQ to dispose of ordnance in the UK.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence funds the 25 year Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) with QinetiQ under which the company provides a capability for ordnance disposal. The LTPA includes financial provision for infrastructure improvement which could be drawn upon by QinetiQ to provide more cost effective disposal or in order to meet environmental legislation.

Warships

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the basis was of the decision to decommission HMS Ark Royal in 2013.

Adam Ingram: The replacement of the Invincible class aircraft carriers (CVS) by the future aircraft carriers (CVF) will be achieved through a phased programme. This will see CVF introduced prior to the full withdrawal of the CVS. It is intended that HMS Ark Royal will be the last CVS to be withdrawn from service in 2013.

Warships

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what engine problems have been experienced by HMS Albion; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The engines on HMS Albion have proved to be extremely reliable in service. There have only been a small number of defects, none of them significant. While there have been defects affecting the supporting cooling systems and electrical control systems, these have been rectified by the shipbuilder and the systems have generally performed to a level consistent with any First of Class vessel entering service.

Warships

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for what reasons HMS Triumph is being laid up prior to her refit; and for how long the vessel will have been laid up before refit work commences;
	(2)  what the basis was of the decision to decommission HMS Triumph 12 months before its refit was due to commence; and what functions the ship will undertake prior to decommissioning.

Adam Ingram: HMS Triumph will begin her refit in summer 2005, as originally planned. She arrived in Devonport at the end of January 2004 and her further operation will not be possible until essential refuelling and safety justification work has been undertaken. Once HMS Talent, currently in refit, vacates her dock, the dock-dependent refit work on HMS Triumph will begin. In the meantime, to make optimum use of the facilities and resources at the dockyard, the Department is seeking to reduce the overall length of the refit by identifying that work which is not dependent on a dry dock and may be undertaken ahead of the main refit and refuelling work. In addition, a reduced ship's company, in conjunction with dockyard employees, will conduct trials to inform the content of the refit package.

Warships

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the operational status is of HMS Ark Royal; and whether she is being put out into extended readiness;
	(2)  how many Royal Navy aircraft carriers are operational.

Adam Ingram: There are currently two operational Royal Navy aircraft carriers, HMS Invincible and HMS Ark Royal. HMS Ark Royal is currently operational, but will be moved to a state of extended readiness from April 2004. HMS Illustrious will return to operational service in 2005 following a period in refit.

SCOTLAND

Censuses

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the financial consequences of reducing the 100-year census closure period for decennial population census records for Scotland.

Anne McGuire: None. Responsibility for such an assessment lies with the Scottish Executive as this is a devolved matter.
	The Minister responsible in the Scottish Executive is Cathy Jamieson, Minister for Justice.

Censuses

Win Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the years in which each of the 1851 to 1901 decennial censuses were released for public inspection.

Anne McGuire: The General Register Office for Scotland (GRO(S)), an associated department of the Scottish Executive, is responsible for carrying out periodic censuses of Scotland's population.
	The Scottish Census returns for 1841–71 were opened to public inspection in 1923. The returns for 1881 and 1891 were opened to public inspection, though with some restrictions on copying, in 1955. The records for 1901 were opened to public inspection at the end of 2001.

Energy Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on energy policy in Scotland.

Anne McGuire: The February 2003 Energy White Paper "Towards a Low Carbon Economy" defines the Government's overall strategy for energy policy. Its four core objectives—cutting carbon emissions, maintaining reliability of energy supplies, promoting competitive markets to promote productivity and sustainable growth, ensuring every home is adequately and affordably heated—apply and will deliver benefits in Scotland as elsewhere. I take part in the work of the sustainable energy policy network in following through on the White Paper commitments. Scottish Executive Ministers are closely associated with this work.
	Core aspects of energy policy and related issues of competition and regulation are reserved. Devolved policy responsibilities in Scotland include promotion of renewables and of energy efficiency. Co-operation in devolved policy areas including planning, environmental protection, encouraging economic development and a skilled work force is crucial to the success of energy policy in Scotland. Good working relations at all levels between the Scottish Executive and UK Government Departments are therefore especially important.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Assembly Ombudsman

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the remit of the Assembly Ombudsman to include further education colleges; whether he has met with representatives from further education colleges to discuss the issue; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have no current plans to extend the remit of the Assembly Ombudsman to directly include Further Education Colleges. The Offices of the Assembly Ombudsman and Commissioner for Complaints are currently subject to review. Following consideration of the outcome of that review any proposed changes to the remit of the Ombudsman will be matters for public consultation.

Assets Recovery Agency

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the value of assets (a) recovered and (b) frozen is since the Assets Recovery Agency was formed.

Jane Kennedy: The Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland is currently dealing with 22 cases with a total asset value of over £9.9 million. Of these, 16 are under active investigation. The Agency has frozen assets totalling £2.8 million in five of the remaining cases and is pursuing one case through taxation.

Further Education

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) research was undertaken and (b) evidence was collected during the development of the recent further education strategy proposals, with particular regard to (i) the balance between full-time and part-time lecturing staff, (ii) the number of students taking vocational courses at further education colleges and (iii) the proportion of the 16 to 21 age cohort taking vocational courses at further education colleges.

Jane Kennedy: The publication of the Draft Strategy for further education is the result of a wide range of consultations and research exercises conducted since autumn 2002. In addition to a public consultation on the future role of further education and an analysis of course provision, enrolments and performance by the 16 local further education colleges, new research was commissioned by DEL to supplement existing information on the work of the colleges. This new research addressed: the qualifications of further education staff; the qualifications of 16–19 year olds entering full-time education; the contribution of further education to economic development; and, an evaluation of the current funding mechanism. The findings of this considerable body of information were augmented further by a number of study visits aimed at evaluating best practice in vocational education.
	The proposals set out in the draft strategy are now subject to a second period of public consultation that closes on 30 June 2004. Much of the research is already available on the DEL website and a summary document on this underlying evidence will be published shortly.
	With regard to specific areas highlighted, the data collected by the Department
	shows:
	(i) a total of 1,815 full-time and 3,113 part-time lecturing staff in respect of the 2001–02 academic year (source: college returns);
	(ii) the total number of students taking vocational courses across all colleges in the 2001–02 academic year was 121,930 (Source: Further Education Statistical Records—FESR);
	(iii) the total number of students aged 16–21, studying vocational courses across the N. Ireland further education sector was 48,792 in 2001–02. This represented approximately 33 per cent. of the 16–21 year-old mid year population estimate for 2001 (Source: 2001 census).

International Monitoring Commission

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what annual salary will be paid to members of the International Monitoring Commission; and what he estimates Commission members' average annual expenses will be.

Jane Kennedy: The Independent Monitoring Commission Commissioners will not be paid an annual salary. The Commissioners receive a per diem rate of £600, the Commissioners may also claim £25 per day and, in addition, their travel and subsistence costs are met.

International Monitoring Commission

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the (a) cost of setting up and (b) annual running costs of the International Monitoring Commission.

Jane Kennedy: I estimate the costs associated with establishing and running the Independent Monitoring Commission up to the end of financial year 2003–04 to be approximately £600,000. I estimate that the annual running costs will be approximately £2 million, up to half of which will be borne by the Irish Government. I intend to make IMC accounts available in due course.

Mental Health Services

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many emergency psychiatric bed spaces there are in Northern Ireland, broken down by location; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of this provision to deal with the demand.

Angela Smith: The Eastern Health and Social Board has six acute psychiatric units providing a total of 224 beds. These are located at Belfast City Hospital, Mater Hospital, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Lagan Valley Hospital, Ards Hospital and Downshire Hospital.
	The Northern Board has three acute psychiatric units providing 134 beds. These are located at the Ross Thompson Unit, Holywell Hospital and Whiteabbey Hospital.
	The Southern Board has two acute psychiatric units providing 120 beds. These are located at St. Luke's Hospital and the Psychiatric Unit at Craigavon Area Hospital.
	The Western Board has two acute psychiatric units providing 104 beds. These are located at Gransha Hospital and Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital.
	A major review of mental health law, policy and service provision is currently under way. This will look at the issues of hospital provision as well as alternatives to emergency admissions.

Mental Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mental health trusts in Northern Ireland have fully established women-only day care facilities.

Angela Smith: There are no fully established women-only day care facilities in any of the Health and Social Services Trusts in Northern Ireland.

New Deal

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have gained employment as a result of enrolling in the (a) New Deal for 18 to 24-years-olds, (b) New Deal 50+, (c) New Deal for Disabled People, (d) New Deal for people aged 25+ and (e) New Deal for Lone Parents in each year since their introduction; and what steps he is taking to increase such figures.

Jane Kennedy: The New Deal programmes are a part of the Government's Welfare to Work Initiative and are aimed at assisting unemployed people from benefit into employment. All New Deal programmes are kept under review and developed to ensure that they meet the needs of their target groups. Independent evaluations are carried out on a regular basis as part of this review process.
	The number of people who have gained employment as a result of participating in the New Deals are as follows:
	
		Numbers into sustained employment(1) , (2)
		
			  New Deal for 18 to24-year-olds New Deal 50+ New Deal for Disabled People New Deal 25+ 
		
		
			 1998–99 2,165 (3)0 (4)0 307 
			 1999–2000 3,296 (3)0 (4)0 4,114 
			 2000–01 2,398 523 283 2,521 
			 2001–02 2,010 529 177 1,697 
			 2002–03 1,965 483 436 1,751 
			 2003–04(5) 1,455 — 511 1,036 
		
	
	
		Total number into employment—New Deal for Lone Parents(6)
		
			  Full-time Part-time 
		
		
			 1998–99 543 35 
			 1999–2000 1,213 115 
			 2000–01 1,601 234 
			 2001–02 1,779 221 
			 2002–03 1,967 249 
			 2003–04(5) 1,125 157 
		
	
	(1) A participant is considered to have sustained employment if they remain in the same spell of employment for 92 days or more.
	(2) A participant is only ever counted once as starting employment.
	(3) New Deal 50+ was introduced in April 2000.
	(4) New Deal for Disabled People was introduced across Northern Ireland in April 2000.
	(5) Figures for 2003–04 will be subject to revision as data on those who moved into employment towards the end of 2003 and the beginning of 2004 and subsequently sustain that employment becomes available.
	(6) The Social Security Agency is responsible for the administration of New Deal for Lone Parents.

New Deal

John Hume: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of 18 to 24-year-olds in (a) Northern Ireland and (b) the Foyle constituency entered paid employment within six months of completing New Deal programmes in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: During the period 1 July 2002 to 30 June 2003 the percentage of leavers from the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds entering paid employment within six months of completing the programme was:
	(a) 31 per cent. in Northern Ireland; and
	(b) 25 per cent. in the Foyle parliamentary constituency.

Pregnancy (Triple Test)

Martin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidelines have been issued to each of the Northern Ireland health boards regarding the triple test for pregnant women.

Angela Smith: No guidance has been issued to Health Boards in Northern Ireland on use of the triple test for screening pregnant women in relation to Down's syndrome.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the role of the Government's proposed Serious Organised Crime Agency will be in Northern Ireland.

Jane Kennedy: The Serious and Organised Crime Agency will have a UK wide remit. However, because of the distinctive features of organised crime in Northern Ireland a regional focus will be maintained and the PSNI will continue to have a central role in tackling organised crime.
	A representative from the new agency will join the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force.

Ulster Scots

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will publish the results of (a) surveys and (b) measurements of demand for the Ulster-Scots language in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The results of the 1999 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey are currently published on the internet (www.ark.ac.uk/nilt).
	My officials are currently finalising and preparing for publication the Dunne report, which includes research dating back to 2002. The published report will include the results of the 2000 and 2001 Omnibus Survey. I envisage that the report will be published before the summer.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Small Arms

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what provision has been made to extend funding for (a) the small arms and light weapons global conflict prevention pool beyond 2004 and (b) the United Nations development programme global weapons collection programme.

Hilary Benn: The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Strategy allocation for 2004–5 is £6.0 million. It is expected that the allocation up to 2006–07 for all strategies including SALW will be agreed by Ministers towards the end of 2004.
	Support for the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Small Arms Project on Weapons Collection, Management and Destruction comes from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), jointly managed by the Department for International Development, Ministry of Defence and Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The current phase of support is worth £7.5 million and runs for three years, ending in April 2004. We are currently considering a proposal to extend funding for a further period.

Small Arms

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has to extend small arms and light weapons destruction projects.

Hilary Benn: DFID is keen to provide continued support to programmes which demonstrate their ability to reduce the availability of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) through stockpile management, collection and destruction initiatives.
	Support for United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP's) Small Arms Project on Weapons Collection, Management and Destruction comes from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), jointly managed by DFID, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The current phase of support is worth £7.5 million and runs for three years, ending in April 2004. We are currently considering a proposal to extend funding for a further period.
	The UK Government will provide on-going support in 2004–05 towards the development of a five year National Action Plan in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique and Namibia. These plans will provide a comprehensive approach to weapons control in these countries and will include disarmament, destruction and weapons management.
	The GCPP will continue to fund a Brazilian NGO, Viva Rio in 2004–05. The next part of the programme will commence in April 2004 and will contain stockpile, destruction and tracing initiatives as part of their awareness raising campaign.
	In joint co-operation with MOD and FCO we are also increasing our funding to the UN Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean to co-ordinate and execute assistance to several Latin American countries during 2004 for weapons destruction and stockpile management, including the organisation of public events.
	DFID is also planning new SALW destruction projects in the Balkans.

Small Arms

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his officials have discussed assistance to the Economic Council of West African States to combat small arms problems in West Africa with the ECOWAS secretariat.

Hilary Benn: DFID recognises that more needs to be done to combat small arms proliferation in West Africa. In recent months DFID, together with the FCO and MOD, and other donors have been working closely with Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and is member states to take forward a number of emerging opportunities. An outcome of this is that the UK is part funding an ECOWAS conference on Combating illicit Small Arms Brokering during March. As well as focusing on arms brokering this Conference will also review the existing ECOWAS moratorium on small arms and the proposed roles and responsibilities of the ECOWAS Small Arms Unit. The UK contribution for the Conference will be financed through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool to which DFID, FCO and MOD all provide funding.

CDC and Actis

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost of new office space procured for (a) CDC and (b) Actis is; and what price per square foot has been paid for each of their new London offices.

Hilary Benn: The total costs and price per square foot of the new office space for both CDC and Actis are covered by confidentiality clauses in the contracts between the two companies and their respective landlords. The landlords have been asked to waive these restrictions but have declined to do so for commercial reasons. I am not therefore able to provide the information requested.
	However, achieving the best value for money has been a priority in the decision to move into the two new offices. CDC's old office was in need of expensive refurbishment to its ventilation and cabling. Furthermore, its 52,000 sq ft of floor space had become too large for a staff complement, which had fallen from some 270 to around 170 over the last few years. The combined floor space of the two new offices amounts to some 32,000 sq ft in comparison. By selling their old office, CDC have also realised the value of the property (some £24 million) which can now be used for CDC's mission of investment in the private sector in poorer developing countries.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Long-service Awards

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce legislation on the issuing of long-service awards by companies.

Jacqui Smith: Long-service awards can benefit both employers and employees. Depending on the circumstances, such awards might amount to indirect age discrimination under the Article 13 European Employment Directive, which requires discrimination on the grounds of age in employment and vocational training to be outlawed by December 2006. We intend that our implementing legislation will provide for employers to be able to continue to offer justifiable long-service awards.

National Minimum Wage

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of people benefiting from the recent uprating of the national minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Based on the Office for National Statistics' Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that between 1.6 million and 1.9 million people in the UK stand to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the national minimum wage which was announced last week.

National Minimum Wage

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of people benefiting from the recent uprating of the national minimum wage.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Based on the Office for National Statistics Low Pay data released in 2003, the DTI estimates that between 1.6 million and 1.9 million people in the UK stand to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the National Minimum Wage which was announced last week.

National Minimum Wage

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of (a) adults, (b) 16 and 17-year-olds and (c) households in Leeds West that will benefit from the minimum wage rise in October 2004.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DTI analysis of low pay data from the Office for National Statistics suggests that between 180,000 to 210,000 workers in Yorkshire and the Humber stand to benefit from the October 2004 uprating of the national minimum wage. More detailed information by constituency is not possible using the data available. Information on 16 to 17-year-olds and on households is neither available by region nor by constituency due to small sample size.

Defective Products (Mandatory Recalls)

Tony McWalter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will create an independent national body to oversee all mandatory recalls of defective products.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Having carefully considered the option of creating an independent national body we have decided not to pursue this course of action.

Music Industry

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the economic contribution of the music industry in the United Kingdom; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Music is, and has been for many years, one of the most vibrant sectors of the UK economy. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport, who have responsibility for the music industry, estimates that the UK is the third largest market in the world for sales of music and is second only to the USA as a source of repertoire. According to the DCMS sponsored report by the National Music Council on the economic contribution of the UK music business, "Counting the Notes (2002)", the music industry generated a total value added in excess of £3.6 billion in 2000.

Small Firms Legislation

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the way the Government consults small firms on new legislation.

Nigel Griffiths: The Government established a Small Business Council in May 2000 to advise and report on the effects that the Government have on small business, including regulation. William Sargent SEBC Chair acts as the 'voice' for small business across Whitehall—in this role he also has direct access to the Prime Minister and attends Ministerial Panel of Regulatory Accountability.

Chemical Industry

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Department is taking towards deregulation of the chemical industry.

Jacqui Smith: The Government continually looks for ways to improve the regulatory regime, and we will be establishing a new chemical industry forum to discuss options for better regulation, as announced by the Chancellor in last week's budget. Appropriate regulation of the chemical industry is, of course, necessary to ensure proper protection of human health and the environment.

European Union (Balance of Trade)

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the balance of trade with the European Union was in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what the balance was (a) five and (b) 10 years ago.

Mike O'Brien: In the year to the third quarter of 2003, the UK's balance of trade in goods and services deficit with the European Union was 2.5 per cent. of GDP. In 1998 and 1993 the deficits were 0.7 and 0.9 per cent. respectively. In 1988 it was 3.7 per cent.

Nuclear Power (Emissions)

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy under the United Kingdom national allocation plan to exempt nuclear generation from the EU emissions trading scheme.

Stephen Timms: While nuclear generation does not produce emissions of carbon dioxide, the associated combustion installation which emits carbon dioxide and with a rated thermal input exceeding 20 MW is subject to the EU emissions trading scheme.

West Africa (Export Control)

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will discuss with representatives of the Economic Community of West African States the Department's policy on extraterritorial export control legislation.

Nigel Griffiths: Yes my hon. Friend the Minister for Africa wrote last December to Dr. Ibn Chambas, Executive Secretary of the Economic Community of West African States, to explain the Government's policy on extra-territorial controls.
	The Minister discussed the issue again when he saw Dr. Chambas in New York this February.

Productivity (Yorkshire and the Humber)

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to improve productivity in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are committed to raising the productivity of UK business in order to provide prosperity for everybody in our country. Within Yorkshire and the Humber, my Department works closely with Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for the region, which has made improved productivity a key priority in then Regional Economic Strategy.
	Since its launch in may 2002, the Yorkshire and Humber Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) has contacted 691 companies. This has resulted to date in company improvements in productivity added value of £7.8 million per annum.

Internet Access

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of how the level of internet access in the United Kingdom compares with that in other European countries.

Stephen Timms: The Office of the e-envoy published an independent international benchmarking assessment in Nov 2002—The Worlds Most Effective Policies for the e-Economy—which presents international comparisons of internet access and use across the G7. The assessment shows the UK to be ahead of other European G7 countries for household internet access.

Alcoholic Beverages

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she is planning to ensure that beer drinkers receive a full pint when purchasing alcoholic beverages on licensed premises.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 321W.

Alcoholic Beverages

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research the Department has undertaken on whether beer drinkers receive a full pint on licensed premises.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department's consultation document 'Draught Beer and Cider' of March 2002 reported the results of a number of surveys by local authorities.
	This consultation document has been placed in the Libraries of the House and can be viewed at www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/consultpdf/beer2.pdf.

BNFL

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many fixed price contracts have been undertaken by BNFL in the USA in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Timms: BNFL operates in several sectors in the US, principally environmental clean-up through its subsidiary BNFL Inc and fuel manufacture and reactor services through its subsidiary Westinghouse Electric Company. It would not be practical to list specific details of contracts.
	I would refer the hon. Member to an answer I gave to the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) on 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 225W.

BNFL

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, columns 321–22W what estimates of further losses are envisaged by BNFL Inc; and what other potential losses in the USA BNFL Inc have informed the Department of.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker), on 22 March 2004, Official Report, column 517W.

Conferences and Seminars

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 1775W, on conferences and seminars, for what reason she does not maintain a central register of the (a) number and (b) cost of conferences and seminars that have been cancelled since June 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: Responsibility for conferences and seminars rests with individual business units in DTI. Statistics on cancellation of such events with associated costs are not normally required for business reasons and are therefore not collected centrally.

Departmental Expenditure

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) resource budget, (b) administration costs and (c) staff numbers of the (i) Database Market Strategy Group (Patent Office), (ii) Small Business Investment Task Force, (iii) Small Business Council, (iv) Partnership Fund Assessment Panel, (v) Measurement Advisory Committee, (vi) Industrial Development Advisory Board, (vii) Council for Science and Technology, (viii) Committee on Cleaner Coal Technology, (ix) National Consumer Council, (x) Gas and Electricity Consumer Council and (xi) British Hallmarking Council are for 2003.

Patricia Hewitt: The resource budget set by DTI for the National Consumer Council for the financial year 2003–04 is £4,059,000. The forecast average staff numbers for the National Consumer Council is 51.2 full time equivalents.
	The resource budget set by DTI for the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council for the financial year 2003–04 is £12,300,000. The forecast average staff numbers for the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council is 296 full time equivalents.
	The resource provided by DTI for these bodies is funded from DTI's programme budgets. The amount of their expenditure, which would be regarded as administrative costs will be published in each body's audited annual accounts.
	The following bodies do not have separate resource budgets or staff. DTI provide the secretariat services in these cases and expenditure is met from within DTI's internal resource budgets.
	Council for Science and Technology
	Industrial Development Advisory Board
	Measurement Advisory Committee
	Small Business Investment Task Force
	Small Business Council
	Partnership Fund Assessment Panel—closed December 2003
	The Committee on Cleaner Coal Technology—closed June 2003
	The British Hallmarking Council is funded by the Assay Offices and does not receive a resource budget from DTI. It has one member of staff.
	The Database Market Strategy Group (Patent Office) has no budget or staff. Its secretariat is provided by the Patent Office. No internal budget has been set for this body. It has not met during 2003–04.

Departmental Scientific Adviser

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department has a chief scientific adviser.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department of Trade and Industry appointed David Hughes as Director General of Innovation Group and Departmental Chief Scientific Adviser (DCS A) in October 2002. David Hughes is a member of the Department's Executive Board.
	Sir David King, the Government's Chief Scientific Adviser, reports direct to the Prime Minister and to Cabinet. He provides advice to the Government as a whole on science, engineering and technology (SET) matters. Sir David heads the Office of Science and Technology which is located in my Department.
	I meet both regularly and Sir David meets David Hughes and the other Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers on a regular basis.

Drug Treatments in Developing Countries

John Battle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress in making cheaper generic drug treatments available to developing countries, pursuant to the World Trade Organisation agreement on trade related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and Public Health of August 2003.

Patricia Hewitt: The UK Government will be working with our European partners on incorporating the WTO Decision on TRIPs and Public Health into law at EU level. This will enable both the granting of compulsory licences for export of patented medicines in the circumstances laid down in the decision, and appropriate safeguards to ensure that medicines exported in this fashion are not diverted from their intended recipients.

E-Auctions

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the potential impact of closed e-auction policies by supermarket stores on the health and safety compliance rates of contracting companies.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I understand that the hon. Member may have information regarding a reduction in health and safety standards. This is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive who may be able to respond appropriately if provided with detailed information.

Employment Rights Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department conducted an impact assessment under its race equality scheme of its decision to cease production of hard copy prints of most employment rights advice booklets.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No. Employment rights information is available from the Department's website or, in paper form, from Acas.

Employment Rights Booklets

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1676–77W, on employment rights advice booklets, on what date the organisations listed were invited to join the practitioner group established as part of the review of her Department's information services; which of the organisations listed subsequently (a) became a member of the practitioner group and (b) attended meetings of the practitioner group; on what dates; and which organisations (i) declined to join the practitioner group and (ii) did not respond to the invitation.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A letter inviting organisations to join the group was sent on 28 May 2002. Membership was through attendance at the meetings. The letter did not ask for a response if the offer was declined. Records were not kept of organisations that did not respond.
	Following is a list of organisations represented at the meetings.
	Meeting of Employment Information Practitioners' Group: stakeholder attendance list
	9 June 2002
	CBI
	Leo Abse and Cowen
	British Chambers of Commerce
	West Midlands Low Pay Unit
	10 July 2002
	Pattinson Brewer (formerly worked for Leo Abse and Cowen)
	TUC
	FSB
	Parents at Work
	EOC
	Maternity Alliance
	ACCA
	EEF
	Employment Law Consultants
	NSPCC
	Construction Confederation
	BRC
	2 October 2002
	British Hospitality Association
	West Midlands Employment and Low Pay Unit
	Parents at Work
	Maternity Alliance
	SBC
	TUC
	Acas Council member
	British Retail Consortium
	EEF
	CIPD
	Equal Opportunities Commission
	Construction Confederation
	Federation of Private Business
	Employment Law Consultants
	Canary Wharf plc
	ACAS
	ACCA

Entrepreneurship

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to promote an enterprise culture within educational establishments.

Patricia Hewitt: In encouraging entrepreneurial attitudes among young people, the DTI has supported Enterprise Insight in developing a national campaign to promote enterprise to young people and to those who influence them (including teachers, careers advisers etc). This campaign will have as its focal point an annual Enterprise Week, the first of which will be from 15 to 21 November this year. Enterprise Week will include national and regional activities and celebrations of entrepreneurial achievement.
	The DTI also supports the activities of Young Enterprise, in offering young people practical experience of what enterprise entails through simulated entrepreneurial situations. Specifically, through the SBS it supports YE's Graduate Programme, Masterclass and Innovation Awards.
	The DTI is also working closely with the DfES and the Treasury in taking forward the recommendations of the Davies Review. From 2005–06 all Key Stage 4 pupils will receive the equivalent of five days enterprise activity, which develops enterprise capability—innovation, creativity, risk-management and risk-taking, and financial and business understanding. 151 Enterprise Pathfinder projects were launched last September, covering nearly 400 secondary schools in England, from which DfES will derive guidance for all schools prior to launching the £60 million enterprise education entitlement in September 2005. A second wave of Pathfinders will start in September 2004.
	The two Departments are also supporting the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. Building on existing good practice, the aims of the Council will be to raise the profile of entrepreneurship and starting a business as a career option within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including both universities and other higher education establishments, with the objective of increasing the numbers of students and graduates who give serious thought to this. It will therefore work with all interested parties to encourage and create an entrepreneurial culture among students and graduates.

Fireworks Act

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what timetable has been established for drawing up (a) regulations under the Fireworks Act 2003, (b) a media and public awareness strategy about the new regulations and (c) training for police and local authorities on dealing with the new regulations.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No formal timetable has been established, but under the Fireworks Act we have already made the Fireworks Regulations 2003 which came into force on 22 December.
	Preliminary consultations on implementing the remainder of the Fireworks Act are continuing and draft regulations will be published for consultation towards the end of April with the aim of making regulations by July before summer recess.
	A media and public awareness strategy is being considered. As far as possible, this will fit in with our annual firework safety campaign.
	The Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services (Lacors) ensure that local authorities have all relevant information and guidance relating to new legislation. Training for the police is a matter for the Home Office.

Flexiclub

Nigel Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received regarding the activities of the company Flexiclub; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Department does not comment on the affairs of individual companies. If the hon. Member has received complaints about a company called Flexiclub or trading as Flexiclub we will consider it. According to information held at Companies House, companies with the words Flexiclub in their name have been dissolved, the most recent being in August 2002. We cannot investigate dissolved companies.

Internet Service Providers

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to promote an increase in internet service providers' accountability to their customers.

Stephen Timms: Under the Communications Act 2003, Ofcom was given a duty to set general conditions for service providers to provide information about services standards and customer rights. Under Ofcom's General Conditions of Entitlement, Internet service providers must provide a consumer code of practice that will set out clear information about the company they are dealing with, what they offer, what policies are in place (e.g. in relation to disconnections, payment, billing etc.), how to contact them, how to complain and how to go to an alternative dispute body.
	The Communications Act 2003 also gave Ofcom a duty to promote media literacy. As part of Ofcom's strategy for the promotion of media literacy they will be encouraging Internet service providers to offer advice and guidance to customers, particularly in relation to the protection of young people from harmful content and services delivered on the Internet. In addition, Ofcom propose to direct people to information provided by other stakeholders when looking for information to control their and their children's activities online.

Internet Service Providers

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to encourage internet service providers to provide more information to their customers on the services they provide.

Stephen Timms: The regulation of Internet service providers is the responsibility of Ofcom. Under the Communications Act 2003 Ofcom have put in place a range of general conditions which improve the accountability of all communications providers, including ISPs, to their customers. For example all communications providers now have to establish alternative dispute resolution procedures for handling complaints made by their customers.

Ministerial Visits

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the (a) businesses and (b) small businesses which she has visited in an official capacity since 1 January.

Patricia Hewitt: holding answer 22 March 2004
	In my official capacity I frequently meet business people and also held regular meetings with business representative organisations.

Nirex

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 330W whether a representative of Nirex was present at the meetings of (a) 5 March and (b) 9 March; and whether the communications budget was discussed.

Stephen Timms: Nirex was not represented at these meetings, and they did not address its communications budget.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether applications from foreign candidates will be considered for the post of (a) chair and (b) chief executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Stephen Timms: The Department is undertaking a recruitment campaign for two policy advisers who subject to the successful passage of the Energy Bill be appointed Chair, and Chief Executive of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. The campaign is open and transparent and applications will be considered from all sources. The key requirement is that candidates meet the criteria for the posts. Successful candidates will need to obtain satisfactory security clearance.

Oil Reserves

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the importance of the Al-Ghawar oil field to the global oil market;
	(2)  what assessment she has made of the risks to sustaining output from the Al-Ghawar field at current levels.

Stephen Timms: The Al-Ghawar oil field is estimated to have production capacity of around five million barrels of oil per day, approximately 6 per cent. of global oil production.
	My Department keeps abreast of the various studies looking at the sustainability of output from Al-Ghawar, and Saudi Arabia more generally. Although production from the Al-Ghawar field may slowly decline in future years, Saudi Aramco is confident that replacements from other giant oil fields mean that oil production from Saudi Arabia can be sustained at current levels, and higher if necessary, for several decades.

Oil Reserves

Crispin Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of short to medium term excess of oil and over-supply for oil on policy towards promoting development of more North Sea hydrocarbon resources.

Stephen Timms: The imperative to maximise the economic benefit, and the consequent contribution to energy security of supply, from the UK's oil and gas reserves applies whatever the oil price. Working with PILOT, the Government-industry forum, we aim to ensure that the North Sea's oil and gas reserves are fully exploited, for example by attracting new entrant oil companies and improving the recovery from existing fields.

Phoenix Development Fund

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of the Phoenix Development Fund on levels of enterprise in disadvantaged and under-represented groups.

Nigel Griffiths: The Fund is currently being evaluated and a final report is due in September 2004. However the results to date indicate that the project is helping in the creation of some 8,000 new enterprises and assisting over 8,200 existing businesses.

Renewable Energy

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much her Department has spent on grants to encourage the use of renewable energy in each year since 1990.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that I gave to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oldham, West and Royton (Mr. Meacher) on 17 March 2004, Official Report, column 327–28W.

Rural Post Offices (Scotland)

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discrete criteria are to be employed for Scotland as far as the review of the rural post office network is concerned.

Stephen Timms: Officials from the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive will be closely involved in the consideration of policy options for the future of the rural post office network through membership on an inter-departmental working group.

Small Businesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which of the recommendations of the Cross Cutting Review of Government Services for Small Businesses have been implemented.

Nigel Griffiths: 37 of 39 recommendations of the Cross Cutting Review of Government Services for Small Business have been or are being implemented, either in their original form, or as modified in the light of subsequent work. The 39 recommendations are set out in the following list.
	Recommendation 22 in the list is not being pursued in its original form. Recommendation 23 has been deferred. Work has shown that it is not possible at this stage to develop an appropriate appraisal methodology to take full account of the costs to SMEs of different forms of service delivery.
	Recommendations from the Cross Cutting Review of Government Services for Small Business
	1. Government Departments to train staff in contact with small firms about the Government's objective of encouraging entrepreneurs: staff should be aware of the support and services available for new firms; this training should be sensitive to regional differences in rates of entrepreneurship. 2. Government 'services' aimed at fostering entrepreneurs should be more consciously designed to help remove barriers for under-represented groups; SBS to lead work on this.
	3. SBS should bring forward proposals to increase the reach and effectiveness of the Small Firms Guarantee scheme provided the changes can demonstrate value for money, to implement the broad thrust of SBIT and KPMG recommendations, in particular that:
	where possible, sector exclusions are removed;
	the scheme is simplified; and that
	it is marketed effectively to encourage greater take-up by finance providers and small businesses alike.
	4. SBS should act as a focal point for Government research on barriers to enterprise for under-represented groups.
	5. SBS to give clearer instructions to Business Links Operators (BLOs) on how to acknowledge diversity in their business delivery and ensure best practice in delivering BLO services are spread to all.
	6. SBS to redefine BLOs targets to encourage them to engage the local community, creating an inclusive and approachable reputation, and using intermediaries where these are better at providing business services to specific groups.
	7. RDAs should work with Local Strategic Partnerships, using regeneration funds where relevant, to pioneer novel approaches to barriers for specific groups of local entrepreneurs.
	8. SBS and Inland Revenue jointly should examine the costs and benefits of providing, in a suitably anonymised form, to Government Departments and expert organisations, on an ongoing basis, existing data available from self-employment registration forms (Annex C).
	9. The SBS and ONS should review the questions on self-employment and business ownership in the Labour Force Survey (LFS) to ensure that all self-employed interviewees are captured in the survey, and to examine increasing the LFS sample size.
	10. SBS and Inland Revenue should examine and report to Ministers whether data on gender, ethnic background and disability status of applicants by postcode could be captured from self-employment registration forms.
	11. SBS and Customs and Excise should examine and report to Ministers whether data on gender, ethnic background and disability status of applicants by postcode could be captured via the VAT registration form.
	12. SBS to enforce the BLO contract condition to supply data on the clients receiving 'significant' assistance from Business Links.
	13. Government Departments to identify separate services which could be combined to provide a single service for small firms—for example, at start-up, or becoming an employer.
	14. Departments to set targets which demonstrate progress towards providing quality services for all customers.
	15. SBS and the Office of the e-Envoy, to establish management and governance arrangement for business.gov to ensure that it is developed in conjunction with the main public services for small business; and also will ensure that departments and agencies can base their electronic service delivery projects on a common, practical, research-based understanding of customer requirements, leading to a common look and feel for government information for small firms.
	16. Departments and agencies who are service providers for small firms at start-up are to work with SBS to produce a resource pack with comprehensive information about what Government wants from new businesses and the newly self-employed and what it can do for them; the pack should be available through multiple private and public sector channels (including banks, accountants, libraries and so on). Local authority information should be incorporated as soon as possible.
	17. Local enterprise events to be held: these give new and would-be entrepreneurs information about the help available (which they often underestimate).
	18. Over time an electronic version of the resource pack to be developed to give more detailed and tailored information.
	19. The pack will be underpinned by a common data source available to all issuing it, so that the same advice is given regardless of the agent who gives it.
	20. OPSR (Cabinet Office) with support from PSPPU to develop guidance on customer-focused delivery and consult widely on their proposals.
	21. SBS to develop further its expertise on small firm sector, to act as a proxy-customer and advise departments and agencies on the needs of small firms in designing and implementing policies which impact on them.
	22. To raise awareness and promote culture change, SBS to sponsor a 'special award' for services to small firms within the existing Charter Mark Scheme, with applications judged by a panel comprising small firm representative groups and individual small businesses.
	23. Departments to work with HM Treasury in developing further appraisal methodologies which take full account of the costs to SMEs of different forms of service delivery.
	24. Departments' targets for measuring towards providing quality services for all customers, should also measure the extent to which the department has set the customer at the heart of its policy and implementation systems.
	25. Whitehall Group to act as a forum to share best practice and ensure that opportunities for joint working that would benefit small firms customer are exploited.
	26. Expenditure and service information to be collected again by SBS and HMT before the next spending review.
	27. SBS to develop and maintain an information quarry on Government requirements of and support for small firms, available for other departments and small firms' advisers.
	28. Departments with extensive contacts with small firms to train staff to use the information quarry to signpost small firms to other relevant Government services.
	29. Departments and agencies with call centres to review operational targets to ensure these do not discourage effective signposting. 30. As an executive agency of the DTI, the SBS's remit is redefined to take account of the importance of small firms' wider interactions with Government: it should aim to simplify and improve small firms' experience of Government.
	31. SBS should develop its role as a source of market knowledge and expertise on small firms for national policy makers through its research and evaluation programme and through existing and newly developing networks.
	32. The joint chairman of a group of departments and agencies who provide major services for small firms should be a member of the SBS steering board; the group will advise on SBS's annual work programme to improve the quality and flow of information about Government services; the group will also be a forum for sharing good practice in customer focus.
	33. RDAs and SBS should develop a methodology, so that SBS can build up an aggregate picture of demand and supply for information on services for small business.
	34. SBS should continue to develop the brokerage role for Business Links.
	35. RDAs should work closely with sub-regional partnerships, and Local Strategic Partnerships to share information with small businesses and improve local communication about services for small business.
	36. SBS, RDAs and partnerships should develop principles of good partnership working.
	37. Members of partnerships may adjust their own services in the light of information about what others do, to eliminate overlapping services or fill gaps.
	38. RDAs may wish to give sub regional partnerships budgets for improving information for small firms about what is available; and/or to move from information sharing and provision to positive planning and co-ordination of services.
	39. Members of partnerships should also identify any barriers to joint working created by national policies and targets, and pass this information back to the department or agency concerned via the RDA.

TRANSPORT

10-year Plan

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made (a) in Greater London and (b) in each London borough in achieving the 10-Year Plan targets for growth of more than 12 per cent. by 2010 compared with 2000 in the use of (i) bus services and (ii) light rail.

Tony McNulty: The combined patronage total of bus and light rail has increased by 13.6 per cent. in the last two years in Greater London.
	Bus patronage in Greater London has increased by 13.3 per cent. from 1,354 million journeys in 2000–01—the base year for the Government's 10-Year Plan target—to 1,534 million journeys in 2002–3. No data is available from TfL on the breakdown by London borough of this bus patronage increase.
	Total Light Rail patronage in Greater London has also increased by 20.6 per cent. over this period. Annual patronage on the DLR network—which covers the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Lewisham and Newham and the Corporation of London—has increased from 38.4 to 45.7 million journeys, an increase of 19 per cent., while annual patronage on the Croydon Tramlink—which covers the boroughs of Merton, Sutton, Croydon and Bromley—has increased from 15.0 to 18.7 million journeys, an increase of 24.7 per cent.

Bus Services

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Transport Commissioners have been consulted on the closure of Stroud bus station.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 23 March 2004
	There is no formal requirement for Traffic Commissioners to be consulted regarding bus stations.

Channel Tunnel

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total amount of public funds has been spent on the Channel Tunnel and associated works since 1986; and what assessment he has made of the economic stability of the Tunnel in the future.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 March 2004
	No public funds have been spent on the Channel Tunnel itself. The Treaty of Canterbury, signed on 12 February 1986, specifically prohibits any public finance for this infrastructure. The connecting road and rail infrastructure has been developed with Government support. However, in the UK the bulk of this is in the form of guaranteed bonds.
	While the Government is keen to see maximum usage of the Tunnel infrastructure, the economic foundation of the operating company is ultimately a matter for its shareholders.

Computer Misuse

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department and its predecessor in (a) 1997 and (b) 2003, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action.

Tony McNulty: There have been no proven incidents of computer misuse in the Department for Transport and its predecessor in 1997 and two in 2003.
	In 2003, following disciplinary action, one member of staff was dismissed from the Department because of misuse of computer equipment involving access to "inappropriate" websites.
	During the same year disciplinary action was taken against another member of staff who was dismissed for gross misconduct on several different counts. One being interpreted as serious negligence, causing unacceptable loss of a computer laptop.

Cycling Proficiency Tests

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many cycling proficiency tests have been (a) taken and (b) passed in each year since 1997, (i) in total and (ii) broken down by local authority;
	(2)  what financial support has been given from his Department to local authorities for (a) cycling proficiency testing and (b) other bicycle training (i) in total and (ii) broken down by local authority.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 24 February 2004, Official Report, columns 339–40W.

Cycling Proficiency Tests

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what research has been conducted into the safety implications of (a) the cycling proficiency test and (b) other bicycle training;
	(2)  what recent changes have been made, and what changes are proposed, to (a) the cycling proficiency test and (b) other bicycle training.

David Jamieson: The Transport Research Laboratory's Research Project Report 214, "The Effectiveness of Child Cycle Training Schemes" has shown that cycle training is effective, with trained children found to be significantly safer than untrained children when knowledge and skills were tested two years after training. The research also identified that better performing cycling schemes involve on-road training, staged courses spread out over a number of weeks, and a problem solving or cycling awareness approach to learning.
	There is no longer a single official cycle proficiency test. Local authorities adopt different practices when running cycle training schemes according to how they believe they can best deliver safer cycling locally. But we understand that many local authorities currently base their cycle training on the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents' guidelines for the management and operation of practical cyclist training schemes.
	The Department is currently working with the National Cycling Strategy Board for England to develop a comprehensive promotion of cycling to school. This involves a close look at current cycle training provision; developing a national standard for child cycle training with road safety organisations, cycle trainers and cycling organisations.

Cycling Proficiency Tests

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many qualified bicycle trainers there were in each year since 1997.

David Jamieson: There is no centrally held data on the numbers of cycle trainers.

Infrastructure Projects

Tim Collins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the major transport infrastructure projects within the responsibility of his Department to be built in (a) Aberdeen Central, i Alyn and Deeside, (c) Ayr, (d) Bassetlaw, (e) Birmingham, Northfield, (f) Birmingham, Perry Barr, (g) Blaydon, (h) Blyth Valley, (i) Bootle, (j) Bradford West, (k) Braintree, (l) Burton, (m) Cardiff West, (n) Clwyd South, (o) Conwy, (p) Coventry North West, (q) Coventry South, (r) Clydebank and Milngavie, (s) Cynon Valley, (t) Dover, (u) Ealing North, (v) Eltham, (w) Feltham and Heston, (x) Forest of Dean, (y) Gateshead East and Washington West, (z) Glasgow, Govan, (aa) Glasgow, Maryhill, (bb) Hammersmith and Fulham, (cc) Hendon, (dd) Hornsey and Wood Green, (ee) Ilford North, (ff) Kettering, (gg) Knowsley South, (hh) Lancaster and Wyre, (ii) Leeds North East, (jj) Leeds West, (kk) Leicester East, (ll) Lewisham, Deptford, (mm) Liverpool, Riverside, (nn) Loughborough, (oo) Manchester, Withington, (pp) Milton Keynes North East, (qq) Monmouth, (rr) Northampton South, (ss) North West Leicestershire, (tt) Ochil, (uu) Reading East, (vv) Reading West, (ww) Rugby and Kenilworth, (xx) Sheffield, Attercliffe, (yy) Sheffield, Hillsborough, (zz) Sittingbourne and Sheppey, (aaa) Stevenage, (bbb) Stockton North, (ccc) Stoke-on-Trent, (ddd) Stourbridge, (eee) Thurrock, (fff) Tyne Bridge, (ggg) Wallasey, (hhh) Wansbeck, (iii) Waveney, (jjj) West Lancashire, (kkk) Wirral West, (lll) Wolverhampton North East and (mmm) Wolverhampton South East; and when the decision was taken to build them.

Tony McNulty: The following major transport infrastructure projects within the responsibility of my Department are currently planned, or are being built, in these constituencies as shown in the following table. Many of these projects, for example the West Coast Main Line modernisation, by their very nature benefit a number of constituencies and also benefit people living in many other constituencies.
	
		
			 Constituency Project Decision date 
		
		
			 Alyn and Deeside West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Bassetlaw Al Peterborough to Blythe Grade Separated Junction. March 2001(7) 
			
			 Birmingham Northfield Highway Maintenance PFI Scheme—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. October 2003 
			  Northfield Relief Bypass December 2000 PA(8) 
			
			 Birmingham Perry Barr Highway Maintenance PFI Scheme—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. October 2003 
			
			  Outer Circle Bus Showcase—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. December 2000 
			
			 Bradford West Yorkshire Yellow School buses—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 
			  Yorcard Integrated Public Transport Smartcard—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			
			 Braintree Felixstowe to Nuneaton Rail Gauge Enhancement—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 26 February 2003 
			
			 Conwy West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Coventry North West Coventry Quality Bus Network—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 1996 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Coventry South Coventry Quality Bus Network—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			  A45 / A46 Tollbar End Improvement—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. April 2003(9) 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Dover Southern Region Rail Power Supply Upgrade Project—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. Early 2002 
			
			 Ealing North Streetlighting PFI schemes Project Review Group(10)decision 19/8/04 
			  LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Power (power supply) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Connect (radio and communications systems) November 1999 
			  LU PPP financial close Tube Lines December 2002 
			  LU PPP Metronet April 2003 
			  These schemes benefit the entire London Underground network and are not specific to this constituency. March 1999 
			
			 Eltham Southern Region Rail Power Supply Upgrade Project—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. Early 2002 
			
			 Feltham and Heston Southern Region Rail Power Supply Upgrade Project—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. Early 2002 
			  LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards)—This scheme benefits the entire London Underground network and is not specific to this constituency. August 1998 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Power (power supply) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Connect (radio and communications systems) November 1999 
			  LU PPP financial close Tube Lines December 2002 
			  LU PPP Metronet April 2003 
			  LU PFI BTP accommodation.These schemes benefit the entire London Underground network and are not specific to this constituency. March 1999 
			
			 Hendon LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Power (power supply) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Connect (radio and communications systems) November 1999 
			  LU PPP financial close Tube Lines December 2002 
			  LU PPP Metronet April 2003 
			  LU PFI BTP accommodation.These schemes benefit the entire London Underground network and are not specific to this constituency. March 1999 
			
			 Hornsey and Wood Green LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Power (power supply) August 1998 
			  LU PFI Connect (radio and communications systems) November 1999 
			  LU PPP financial close Tube Lines December 2002 
			  LU PPP Metronet April 2003 
			  LU PFI BTP accommodation.These schemes benefit the entire London Underground network and are not specific to this constituency March 1999 
			
			 Ilford North LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards)—This scheme benefits the entire London Underground network and is not specific to this constituency. August 1998 
			 Kettering Corby Link Road (borders Kettering Constituency)—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 2002 PA 2003 PA 
			  Isham Bypass—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 2003 PA 
			
			 Knowsley South M62 Junction 6 March 2001(11)  
			  Merseytram Line 1 (Light Rail)—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. December 2002 
			
			 Lancaster and Wyre West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Leeds North East Yorcard Integrated Public Transport Smartcard—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			
			 Leeds West Yorcard Integrated Public Transport Smartcard—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			
			 Leicester East Upperton Road Viaduct Maintenance Scheme 2003 PA 
			
			 Lewisham Deptford East London Line Extension 2001  
			  LU PFI Prestige (Oyster-smart travel cards) LU PFI Power (power supply) August 1998 
			
			  LU PFI Connect (radio and communications systems) August 1998 
			  LU PPP financial close Tube Lines November 1999 
			  LU PPP Metronet December 2002 
			  LU PFI BTP accommodation April 2003 
			  These schemes benefit the entire London Underground network and are not specific to this constituency March 1999 
			  Southern Region Rail Power Supply Upgrade Project— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. Early 2002 
			
			 Liverpool Riverside Merseytram Line 1 (Light Rail)—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2002 
			
			 Manchester Withington Manchester Urban Traffic Control—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2000 
			  South East Manchester Multi Modal Strategy (SEMMMS)—Quality Bus Corridor—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is. not specific to this constituency. August 2003 
			
			 Milton Keynes North East Central Milton Keynes Public Transport Access Improvements—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA  
			  Integrated Transport Scheme—Bus Network—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2000 PA 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Northampton South West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998  
			  Quality Bus Network—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 
			 Reading East M4 Junction 11 (Green Park) 2001 PA 
			
			 Reading West M4 Junction 11 (Green Park) 2001 PA 
			
			 Rugby and Kenilworth Rugby Western Bypass—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. December 2000 PAApril 2003(12)February 2003(13)June 1998 
			  A45/A46 Tollbar End Improvement—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. April 2003(12) 
			  Ml Junction 19 February 2003(13) 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Sheffield Attercliffe Yorcard Integrated Public Transport Smartcard—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			
			 Sheffield Hillsborough Yorcard Integrated Public Transport Smartcard—This scheme benefits constituencies across its area of operation and is not specific to this constituency. December 2003 PA 
			
			 Sittingbourne and Sheppey Southern Region Rail Power Supply Upgrade Project—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. Early 2002 
			
			 Stockton North South Stockton Link Road—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. December l999 
			
			 Stoke-on-Trent Central West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Stoke-on-Trent North West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Stoke-on-Trent South West Coast Main Line Modernisation—This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Thurrock West Thurrock Regeneration Route (Phase 1) February 2003 
			  Felixstowe to Nuneaton Rail Gauge Enhancement, London Route— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 26 February 2003 
			
			 Tyne Bridge Centrelink (Public Transport Scheme) December 2000 
			  Quayside Public Transport December 2000 
			  Central Motorway East (A167M)— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 2000 
			
			 Wansbeck Al Morpeth to Felton Dualling— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. July 2003(14) 
			
			 Waveney South Lowestoft Relief Road— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. 2000 PA 
			
			 Wolverhampton North East Wolverhampton Centre Access and Integrated Transport Interchange— This scheme benefits nearby constituencies and is not specific to this constituency December 2000 PA 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
			 Wolverhampton South East Wolverhampton Centre Access and Integrated Transport Interchange— This scheme benefits nearby constituencies and is not specific to this constituency. December 2000 PA 
			  West Coast Main Line Modernisation— This scheme benefits constituencies along its entire route and is not specific to this constituency. June 1998 
			
		
	
	(7) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	(8) PA-Provisionally Approved and subject to completion of the relevant statutory procedures and final approval by Ministers
	(9) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	(10) Project Review Group (PRG)-a treasury led interdepartmental group that takes decisions on the suitability of schemes for PFI.
	(11) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	(12) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	(13) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	(14) Date entered the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements
	Notes:
	1. Major projects are taken to be those with a capital cost of £5 million or over.
	2. This answer does not cover any transport matters devolved to the Scottish Parliament or the National Assembly for Wales.
	3. Unless stated otherwise, the "decision date" is the date when the decision to fund was taken.
	4. The list has been compiled on the basis that the project or its route is physically located in the relevant constituency. However, some complex projects such as West Coast Main Line Modernisation and Channel Tunnel Rail Link will benefit many nearby constituencies. Thus, the following constituencies will be beneficiaries of the projects listed:
	 West Coast Main Line Modernisation
	Bootle
	Clydebank & Milngavie
	Glasgow Govan
	Glasgow Maryhill
	Liverpool Riverside
	Manchester Withington
	Wallasey
	West Lancashire
	Wirral West
	Sittingbourne and Sheppey
	CTRL
	5. There are no major infrastructure transport projects within the responsibility of my Department relevant to the following constituencies:
	Aberdeen Central
	Ayr
	Blaydon
	Blyth Valley
	Bootle
	Burton
	Cardiff West
	Clwyd South
	Clydebank and Milngavie
	Cynon Valley
	Cynon Valley
	Forest of Dean
	Glasgow Govan
	Glasgow Maryhill
	Loughborough
	Monmouth
	North West Leicestershire
	Ochil
	Stevenage
	Stourbridge
	Wallasey
	West Lancashire
	Wirral West

London Transport (Grants)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what grants were made available to (a) the Greater London Authority, (b) Transport for London, and (c) each London borough from his Department in each of the last four financial years.

Tony McNulty: The Department for Transport has provided the following level of funding for Transport for London (TfL) through the GLA Transport Grant over the last four years:
	
		£ million
		
			  GLA Transport Grant 
		
		
			 2000–01(15) 396.161 
			 2001–02 720.053 
			 2002–03 1,024.118 
			 2003–04(16) 1,681.932 
		
	
	(15) ncludes funding for TfL's predecessor bodies in 2000–01 before the creation of TfL in July 2000. A further £95m of credit approvals were issued by the Government Office for London to London Boroughs for transport capital projects in 2000–01; such support was issued as grant to boroughs by TfL in subsequent years.
	(16) nly includes funding for London Underground following its transfer to TfL in July 2003. Before then £872 million grant had been paid for 2003–04.
	The Department has not provided any direct funding to London boroughs for transport improvements following the creation of TfL, which is now responsible for allocating borough capital funding. Boroughs, however, do use some of their Revenue Support Grant allocation from the Office of Deputy Prime Minister to fund routine highway maintenance works, concessionary fare provision, and other local transport planning and management activities.

M25

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the hold-up of traffic flows on the M25 consequent on the accident in the vicinity of junctions 29 and 31 on 17 March, with particular reference to (a) the length in miles of the hold-up at its peak and (b) the duration of the hold-up; and what actions were taken by the (i) Highways Agency and (ii) Essex and Kent Police (A) to advise motorists of the hold-up and (B) to ameliorate the delay and congestion, broken down by time.

David Jamieson: holding answer 23 March 2004
	There were severe delays and inconvenience caused to motorists as a result of the fatal accident that occurred on the M25 between Junctions 29 and 30 on Wednesday 17 March.
	The Highways Agency and the emergency services are urgently carrying out a thorough investigation into this incident and accident management. As soon as the report's findings are known, the relevant information will be forwarded to my hon. Friend and copies placed in the Libraries of the House.

Motorised Scooters/Wheelchairs

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  for what reasons electric-powered wheelchairs are restricted to a maximum speed of 8 mph when being used on a road; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will amend the Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 to bring the maximum speed permitted thereunder into line with the maximum speed permitted for electric bicycles under The Motor Cycles, Etc (EC type approval) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (S.I.1099/2003).

Kim Howells: Powered wheelchairs and powered scooters are designed to provide independent mobility for people with a physical disability. Their use is governed by The Use of Invalid Carriages on Highways Regulations 1988 (SI 1988 No.2268). There are two classes of powered vehicle: class 2 vehicles are restricted to 4 mph (6.4 kph) and are designed to be used on footways; class 3 vehicles are restricted to 4 mph (6.4 kph) on the footway and 8mph (12.8kph) on the carriageway.
	The vehicles are treated for the purposes of the Road Traffic Act as not being motor vehicles and are, therefore, outside the scope of most requirements of road vehicle construction regulations. Users do not need a driving licence and are not subject to a test.
	The speed of 8 mph (12.8 kph) was set following consultation with disability organisations, industry and road safety groups and was intended to provide a balance between the needs of the users for local outdoor mobility and road safety concerns both for the users and for others on the road. We are currently reviewing the regulations and we will be holding a wide-ranging consultation later this year on a range of issues including speed limits.

Motorised Scooters/Wheelchairs

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 18 March 2004, Official Report, column 405W, on motorised scooters, what research his Department has commissioned on deaths and injuries involving Class 2 and Class 3 invalid carriages.

Tony McNulty: The Department for Transport has commissioned research as part of a major review of the legislation governing the use of Class 2 and Class 3 invalid carriages on the highway. The first stage of the research is to estimate the numbers of these vehicles that are being used and to find out how many accidents or incidents there are involving them. This stage of the work should be completed shortly.

Press Officers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what the total cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 9 March 2004, Official Report, column 1410W, that provided information for the financial year 2003–04.
	In 2002–03 there was an average of 12.7 full time equivalent (fte) press officers employed with related salary costs of £0.51 million in DfT(C), covering the 10 month period from the creation of the Department in late May 2002.
	Information for each of the financial years between 1997–2002, when transport policy formed part of the remit of the former Departments' of Environment, Transport and the Regions and Transport, Local Government and the Regions, is not available in a comparable format.
	Detailed information on the numbers of permanent press officers employed in departmental press offices, including the former Department of Transport (DoT) for the financial year 1996–97, was provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on the Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770) in July 1998 (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmpubadm/770/77002.htm).
	Comparable staffing figures for the former DoT (central) between 1993–94 to 1995–96 are:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1995–96 20 
			 1994–95 17 
			 1993–94 19 
		
	
	The salary costs of these staff can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Comparable information for earlier years is not available.

Rail Services/Stations

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of trains to Portsmouth Harbour from (a) London Waterloo, (b) London Victoria and (c) Southampton and the west (i) arrived within five minutes of their advertised arrival time and (ii) terminated before reaching Portsmouth Harbour in the last (A) month and (B) 12 month period for which information is available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not collated centrally in the format required.

Rail Services/Stations

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on the maintenance of the timetabled rail service between London Waterloo and Shanklin.

Tony McNulty: Responsibility for the provision of train services, to timetable, is for the train operating companies.
	Where more than one train operating company provide elements of a journey, as is the case between London Waterloo and Shanklin, it is the responsibility of each train operating company to ensure that their services run to the timetable for their element of the journey.

Rail Services/Stations

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what powers he has with respect to the re-opening of railway stations in Scotland.

Tony McNulty: The Strategic Rail Authority is responsible for the strategic development and funding of the national rail network, including the Scottish network. The Scottish Executive may facilitate the development and improvement of Scottish passenger rail services, including station re-openings and the provision of new stations.

Road Noise

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which concrete trunk roads have been resurfaced with low noise materials, broken down by cost of each project;
	(2)  how much funding has been allocated to resurface concrete trunk roads with low noise materials (a) in each year since the projects started and (b) for 2003–04.

David Jamieson: In year funding is not specifically allocated for resurfacing of concrete trunk roads with low noise materials. The following concrete trunk roads have been resurfaced with low noise materials and broken down by the cost of each project and the year of completion.
	
		
			 Concrete sectionscompleted in M20 Cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 J3-J5 7.5 
			 2000–01 J9-J10 6.0 
			 2001–02 No schemes completed No schemes completed 
		
	
	
		
			 Concrete sections completed in 2002–03 Cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 M1 80: Junction 2 to Beltoft 2.3 
			 A12 Brentwood Bypass Phase 2 12.8 
			 M11 Junction 8 (Stansted Slip Road Contract) 3.7 
			 M20J11—Sellindge 7.4 
			 M20 Sellindge—Smeeth — 
			 M27 Junctions 2–3 19.1 
			 M27 Junctions 3–4 — 
			 M11 J7–6 Southbound 3.2 
			 M5 Junctions 26 to 27 Contract 1 1.6 
			 Sub total 50.1 
		
	
	
		
			 Concrete sections completed in 2003–04 Cost (£ million) 
		
		
			 A1 Long Bennington 4.4 
			 M42 Junctions 2–3a 7.4 
			 M180 Sandtoft—Junction 2 4.0 
			 M11 B1038 (Newport)—All 10.9 
			 M1 Junctions 1–2 6.9 
			 M20 Junctions 11a-11 7.8 
			 M20 Junctions 13–11a — 
			 M25 J26–27 14.3 
			 M5 Junctions 26 to 27 Contract 2 3.7 
			 M5 J27 South to Willand 4.9 
			 A12 Witham-Kelvedon 13.7 
			 Sub total 78.0 
		
	
	M20 J11 to Sellindge and M20 Sellindge to Smeeth schemes were delivered as one project. The same applies to M20 Junctions 11a to 11 and M20 Junctions 13 to 11a schemes and the M27 Junctions 2 to 3 and M27 Junctions 3 to 4.
	The Highways Agency has reported the following allocated expenditure for concrete trunk roads resurfacing with low noise materials since 1999:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 1999–2000 7.5 
			 2000–01 6 
			 2001–02 0.7 
			 2002–03 51.4 
			 2003–04 76

Secondments

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the secondees from outside organisations working in his Department, stating in each case (a) the name of the person, (b) the name of the organisation, (c) the post held and (d) the start and finish dates of the secondment; and which are involved in drafting Parliamentary Answers.

Tony McNulty: There are four secondees from external organisations currently working in DfT, as follows:
	
		
			  Name (a) 
			  Bruce Coombs Adrian Sayce Nick Joyce Clive Wood 
		
		
			 Grade 7 7 SCS 7 
			 Band 6.1 6.1 SCSPB 1 6.1 
			 Organisation (b) Civil Aviation Authority Civil Aviation Authority Ernst & Young Nottingham County Council 
			 Host CAD-Air Traffic Division Multilateral Division Transport Finance Directorate Traffic Management Unit 
			 Post held (c) Head of Branch Representative to ICAO Assistant to Corporate Finance Advisor Secondee 
			 Start (d) 26 June 2001 9 December 2002 19 January 2004 12 January 2004 
			 End (d) 25 June 2004 9 December 2005 January 2005 July 2004 
		
	
	Note:
	(d) All secondees are subject to the Civil Service Code of Conduct whilst on secondment and are expected to undertake the full range of duties attached to the post, including the provision of drafts for PQs if required. Every effort is taken to ensure that no conflict of interest occurs.

Speed Cameras

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the posted speed is of each fixed speed camera within a Safety Camera Partnership.

David Jamieson: The information is not available in the form requested. However, the speed limits at the camera sites in the six English Safety Camera Partnerships involved in the two-year pilot evaluation of the Safety Camera Programme were as follows:
	
		
			 Speed limit at camera site (mph) Percentage of sites 
		
		
			 30 78.3 
			 40 10.6 
			 50 1.4 
			 60 6.2 
			 70 3.5 
			 Total 100 
		
	
	The pilot areas were selected on the basis that they represented a good mix of demographics, enforcement experience and strategies. The spread of camera enforcement by speed limit is therefore likely to be indicative of the spread of speed limits at camera sites generally.
	Further information will be available in the Three Year Report on the Safety Camera Programme, to be published shortly.
	In setting the speed at which cameras operate, partnerships follow the Association of Chief Police Officers guidance that the minimum level should be the speed limit, plus 10 per cent., plus 2 mph.

Strategic Rail Authority

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff are employed in the Strategic Rail Authority; and what assessment he has made of the potential for cost savings.

Tony McNulty: The SRA currently employs 426 staff, excluding those working for subsidiary organisations such as South East Trains. The review of the rail industry announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 19 January is looking into roles and responsibilities in the railway industry, including those of the SRA, and any scope for cost savings will be considered as part of the review.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Animal By-Products Regulations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers she has to prevent local authority officers enforcing the Animal By-Products Regulations in the absence of the introduction of the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: No such powers are available. However, Defra has requested that local authorities continue to take a pragmatic approach to enforcement in regard to the disposal of fallen stock.

Animal By-Products Regulations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what instructions or advice she has given local authority enforcement officers in respect of enforcement of the Animal By-Product Regulations and the disposal of fallen stock.

Ben Bradshaw: Local authorities, through the LACORS website, have been made aware of the delay and the continuing request that they take a pragmatic approach to enforcement as stated in the news release issued by Defra on 24 February. In addition a letter is being sent to LACORS setting out the Government's guidance on enforcement and a copy is being placed in the Library of the House.

Animal By-Products Regulations

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she has notified the European Commission as to her instructions and advice to enforcement officers in respect of the enforcement of the Animal By-Products Regulations.

Ben Bradshaw: We have notified the European Commission that we have provided guidance and initial training for enforcement bodies and that guidance and a large amount of information on the Animal By-Products Regulations is available on the Defra website.

Badgers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how badger fecundity changes where food supplies are freely available, irrespective of population density.

Ben Bradshaw: Badger fecundity is positively correlated with autumn body condition. In environments where food is plentiful, such as south and south-west England, a badger social group may produce several litters each year. Alternatively, in poorer environments, such as upland areas of Scotland, only one litter may be produced per social group per year.

Badgers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether population stress in specific badger social groups triggers migration.

Ben Bradshaw: Movements of badgers between social groups is a natural phenomenon. However, rates of movement may differ relative to population density, among other factors. It is generally believed that badgers move between social groups more frequently in lower density and disturbed populations.

Badgers

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the effects are on badger populations when changes in habitat occur which reduce the carrying capacity of the environment to a level below that of the existing population levels.

Ben Bradshaw: No studies have been conducted that address this question.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her best estimate is of the effect on the competitiveness of British dairy products compared with those of (a) Ireland, (b) France and (c) other European Union member states arising from the additional cost borne exclusively by UK farmers as a result of bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: There are too many variables to be assessed, for instance, industry structures, fluctuation in /euro rates and uncertainty about the real economic effects of TB on the average dairy business in Great Britain, to allow for a realistic estimate of effects on competitiveness to be made.
	The cost of TB to farmers in Great Britain is currently being assessed. Defra has commissioned Reading University to carry out research into the economic impacts of TB and alternative control policies in Great Britain. A report is expected shortly and a summary of the findings will be published on the Defra website in due course.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the findings from the Krebs reactive trials are sufficient to rule out the use of reactive culling on a larger scale than was undertaken during those trials.

Ben Bradshaw: The result from the reactive areas of the Randomised Badger Culling Trial suggests that removal of badgers in the way it was carried out during the trial is ineffective in reducing the level of bovine TB in the cattle population. Reactive culling of badgers in this way, even on a larger scale, has therefore been ruled out as a policy option.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there is a relationship between badger population density and the prevalence of TB in badger populations.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently the only available data, to investigate the potential relationship between disease prevalence and badger population density, originates from the Central Science Laboratory's study at Woodchester Park. This suggests that the prevalence of infection in badgers has fluctuated widely and bears no simple linear relationship to badger density.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the difference in population growth rates is between (a) high, (b) medium and (c) low density badger populations; and what the primary factors responsible for the difference are.

Ben Bradshaw: The growth rate of the badger population, as with any animal population is dependent upon a number of underlying ecological principles, and in particular the rates of births and deaths. A high density population may have little scope for growth, as it is likely to be near the capacity which that particular habitat can support, if the local habitat is poor for badgers then it may only be capable of supporting low numbers. However, if badgers are culled to a low level from a previously high density in a location where conditions are favourable, then there is likely to be considerable potential for population recovery.
	Following removal of 11 social groups from a high density badger population in Gloucestershire, it took 10 years for numbers to recover to pre-cull levels (Cheeseman et al, 1993). Following incomplete removal of eight social groups in a lower density population also in Gloucestershire, density returned to pre-cull levels after only three years (Tuyttens et al, 2000). Recovery rates are likely to be dependent on the quality of the habitat, and the size of the badger population in the surrounding area from which immigration will occur.
	Cheeseman et al, (1993) Recolonisation by badgers in Gloucestershire. In: Hayden, T.J. (Ed) The badger. Royal Irish Academy, Dublin, pp. 78–93.
	Tuyttens, F.A.M., et al. (2000) Spatial perturbation caused by a badger culling operation. Journal of Animal Ecology, 69, 815–828.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent multiple administration of a TB detection test with low sensitivity improves the chances of detection of infection in an infected animal which has previously shown a negative response to that test.

Ben Bradshaw: Any single test with imperfect sensitivity, when applied more than once to an infected animal, will cause the overall sensitivity of the procedure to rapidly approach 100 per cent., although the added value of extra tests will diminish substantially. The probability formula for the overall sensitivity of the multiple testing protocol is as follows:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200304/cmhansrd/vo040325/text/formula.gif
	Where a is the known sensitivity of a single test, n is the total number of tests carried out in the same animal and r ranges in value from 1 to n.
	Notes:
	This formula assumes:
	1. conditional independence between test results (i.e. the sensitivity of one test does not affect the sensitivity of previous or subsequent tests in the same animal) and
	2. that once an animal tests positive on any occasion it is considered to be infected and is not subjected to further testing.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is possible to identify visually individual badgers which are heavily infected by TB; whether it is possible to target those badgers for killing; and whether such a practice would have a significant impact on the incidence of TB in (a) badger and (b) cattle populations.

Ben Bradshaw: Currently, the only sure way of determining the TB status of a badger is through post mortem examination. Even heavily infected individuals may show no outward sign of TB infection. It follows that it would not be possible to target such badgers effectively, and such a practice would be unlikely to have a significant effect on TB in badger or cattle populations.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Treasury on the costs of the TB control programme.

Ben Bradshaw: Discussions are in progress with the Treasury in relation to Spending Review 2004 and expenditure on the TB control programme is a recognised element in those discussions.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she plans to reduce the costs of the TB control programme.

Ben Bradshaw: A key challenge for Government in developing a new TB strategy is, in partnership with industry and others, to reduce the overall economic impact of TB and increase the cost-effectiveness of control measures.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need for (a) vaccination of (i) cattle and (ii) badgers and (b) other measures to control the incidence of TB in cattle herds in the absence of any significant wildlife reservoir of the disease.

Ben Bradshaw: Evidence from other countries shows that, in the absence of a significant wildlife reservoir, cattle controls based on regular testing and slaughter, inspection at slaughterhouses, and movement restrictions (including tracing and contiguous testing) can be effective at controlling bovine TB without vaccination.
	Any badger/wildlife management strategy (whether culling or vaccination) would need to be deployed in conjunction with cattle-based controls. However, practical application of potential vaccines for cattle or badgers remains a long-term prospect.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what cattle biosecurity measures were maintained during the Thornbury badger clearance programme.

Ben Bradshaw: No enhanced biosecurity measures were maintained during the Thornbury badger clearance programme.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are undertaken by her Department in respect of animal sanctuaries and hospitals to ensure that the guidelines relating to the release of badgers into the wild are fully observed.

Ben Bradshaw: None. As I have explained in previous answers these guidelines were prepared by animal welfare organisations and are voluntary. As they are not approved by the Department we do not seek to enforce their use.
	Animal hospitals treating sick or injured badgers are not legally required to test animals for bovine tuberculosis before they are released from captivity.
	To minimise the risk of animal hospitals accidentally spreading tuberculosis Defra facilitated development of the voluntary protocol for the rehabilitation and release of badgers. This was drawn up by the RSPCA, National Federation of Badgers Groups and Secret World Wildlife Rescue. The protocol provides comprehensive guidance on the precautions necessary to protect the welfare of badgers and critically, to minimise the risk of transmitting bovine tuberculosis.
	The protocol is promoted by the organisations above and is available via the internet at: http://www. badger.org.uk/action/badger-rehabilitation-protocol-contents.html

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the change in premiums for bovine TB insurance policies since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made. Insurance companies will make their own decisions on whether to insure, and about the size of premiums, based on their assessment of the risk.
	Contact between officials and the insurance industry early in 2003 indicated that, although companies are honouring existing policies, they are not offering new policies to cover TB in cattle herds, particularly in areas where TB is increasingly prevalent. This is because farmers do not wish to take the cover in areas where the risk is low (such as Yorkshire), but do wish to purchase cover in areas of high incidence (such as the South West). However, the insurance companies considered that the financial risks in offering insurance policies in areas of high incidence were too high at that time.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the measures necessary to restore health to the national badger population.

Ben Bradshaw: None.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will determine the optimum population of badgers for each county area, having regard to the effect of high badger densities on (a) property, (b) wildlife and (c) the incidence of TB.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government expect the badger to remain a common species, but do not have views on the optimum badger population level, nationally or regionally.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of the total hours expended by field officers engaged on randomised badger culling trials were absorbed by travelling time.

Ben Bradshaw: Individual elements of the field trial including such overheads are not individually quantifiable, as a work recording scheme is not operational. However, in 2003 approximately 1,130,000 miles were driven in WLU official vehicles, which roughly equates to between 2 and 3 hours driving per day per person.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what epidemiological value data on the seasonal incidence of TB in cattle has in determining possible causation.

Ben Bradshaw: TB surveillance in GB relies particularly on tuberculin skin testing and meat inspection at the slaughterhouse. Neither of these methods allows a precise ascertainment of when new infection occurred. This is compounded by the nature of TB which is a chronic disease with a highly variable incubation period. If it were possible to determine the time of infection with any certainty, this information would, in some circumstances, help inform the source of infection.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) received on chemical deterrents which may be used to protect buildings or other structures from badger ingress.

Ben Bradshaw: The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food commissioned research in the 1990s on the use of odour repellents that could potentially be used to protect buildings and other structures. The Department is currently considering commissioning new work on this topic. Information on chemical deterrents research is received at intervals as part of normal day-to-day business.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) incidence and (b) prevalence of bovine TB in the South West of England was in 1994; and what the current figures are.

Ben Bradshaw: A comparison of the incidence of bovine TB in the South West of England in 1994 and 2003 is given in the following table.
	
		Table: Incidence of TB in South West England
		
			  1994 South West(17) 2003 West Region(18) (provisional data) 
		
		
			 Total number of TB Herd tests 11,948 19,910 
			 Total new herd TB incidents(19) 648 2,035 
			 Total confirmed new incidents (CNIs)(20) 274 1,053 
			 Incidence(21)(Percentage) 2.29 5.29 
		
	
	(17) Source: The Report of the Chief Veterinary Officer 1994. The area covered by the figures may not exactly correspond to the 2003 West Region.
	(18) Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Avon, Wiltshire, Hereford and Worcester and Shropshire.
	(19) A TB incident is one where at least one reactor is disclosed at the TB test.
	(20) A confirmed incident is one where disease is confirmed by finding visible lesions at post mortem examination or M. bovis is cultured in the laboratory.
	(21) For the purpose of comparing data from 1994 with 2003, incidence is defined as percentage of herds tested that result in CNIs. A better definition would be the percentage of unrestricted herds tested that result in a CNI, but the figures for tests on unrestricted herds are not available for 1994.
	We have no reliable or certain measure of prevalence, which is defined in the Krebs Report as "the proportion of a population infected at any one time".

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to what extent cattle husbandry creates conditions favourable to colonisation of the habitat by badgers.

Ben Bradshaw: Many features of the cattle farming landscape are beneficial to badgers. For example, permanent pasture provides ideal habitat for badgers to forage for earthworms, and farm woodlands and hedgerows provide cover for their setts. Furthermore, cattle feed may provide alternative nutrition for badgers when natural foods are unavailable. This is most likely where cattle feed is either put out on pasture or stored in insecure facilities.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discretion directors of veterinary investigation laboratories have to authorise the post mortem examination of badgers for the presence of TB when presented to their laboratories by a private individual.

Ben Bradshaw: The Veterinary Surveillance Department of the VLA, in consultation with Defra, has issued formal instructions to the VLA Regional Laboratories that allow them to carry out post mortem examinations on badgers and other wildlife, on behalf of private individuals, for the purposes of TB screening providing that the submitter is prepared to meet the full cost of the work carried out. There are three provisos, namely:
	the premises where the carcase or sick animal was found must be outside the Randomised Badger Culling Trial area;
	the VLA has the capacity to undertake this work without compromising any of the statutory TB work that is being carried out on behalf of Defra;
	as with all carcase submissions the duty veterinarian has the authority to cease examination where the carcase is found to be unsuitable for further examination, e.g. where the carcase is autolysed or where there is extensive rupture of internal organs due to traumatic injury.
	Where there is a conflict in workload the private work may be declined or consideration given to retaining the carcase in either a chilled or frozen state until there is a more convenient time to complete the examination.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the scientific merit of the results obtained from the Thornbury badger clearance project.

Ben Bradshaw: There were no scientific controls set up at the time of clearance. This limits the scientific merit of the results. However, both a before and after comparison, and a comparison with incidence in geographically close areas where no contemporary systematic removal of badgers occurred, provide useful information about the effect of culling.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many reports of road traffic accidents involving badgers were received by her Department in each of the last five years; how many carcasses were received by veterinary investigation service laboratories in each of those years; and how many were subject to full post-mortem examination including microbiological analysis.

Ben Bradshaw: This information is given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of carcases reported Number of carcases delivered to veterinary laboratories Number of carcases post mortemed 
		
		
			 November 2000 to January 2001 (22)— (22)— 199 
			 January to 31 May 2002 (22)— 252 220 
			 1 June to December 2002 705 486 435 
			 1 January to 31 December 2003 1,712 1,048 849 
			 1 January to 29 February 2004 285 212 180 
			 Total 2,702 1,998 1,883 
		
	
	(22) This information is not available.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what facilities are in place for the (a) collection from site of the carcases of badgers killed in road traffic accidents and (b) delivery to veterinary investigation laboratories.

Ben Bradshaw: There are four refrigerated vans available to collect carcases of badgers from sites and deliver them to veterinary laboratories.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment has been made of the long-term effect on the badger population of total clearance of badgers from a specific location.

Ben Bradshaw: Studies by the Central Science Laboratory, at Woodchester Park in Gloucestershire, showed that it took badgers approximately 10 years to recolonise areas that had been totally cleared. Initial immigration occurred very quickly, but the population took many years to reach the pre-cull density. This study also showed that, in the initial phase of recovery, badger social organisation was disrupted—the so called perturbation effect.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost of damage caused by badgers to (a) land, (b) buildings, (c) roads and (d) other structures is since the Prevention of Badgers Act 1992 came into force.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no national estimate of the financial value of damage to land, buildings, roads and other structures by badgers.
	A survey of badger damage to agricultural properties in England and Wales conducted in 1997 estimated that the annual cost of damage to structures on farms (this includes buildings, machinery, drains, fences etc.) was £25.7 million (with 95 per cent. Cl of 21.5–29.8m). This value was based on information provided by respondents and assumed that the respondents (55 per cent.) were an unbiased sample of the 3,600 farmers who received questionnaires.
	Moore N.P., Whiterow, A., Langton, S.D., Kelly, P.P., Garthwaite, D., Bishop, J.D. and Cheeseman, C.L. (1998) The Assessment of Badger Damage to Agriculture and Forestry. Report to MAFF, Project VC 0318 .
	Moore N.P., Whiterow, A., Kelly, P.F., Garthwaite, D., Bishop, J. D. Langton, S.D. and Cheeseman, C.L. (1999) Survey of badger Meles meles damage to agriculture in England and Wales. Journal of Applied Ecology 36:974–988

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 631W, whether she has consulted the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on the veterinary resource implications of increasing the frequency of cattle TB testing.

Ben Bradshaw: The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons is one of the organisations we are currently consulting in the course of our review of the bovine tuberculosis strategy.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the need for animal vaccines in the event of the eradication of the wildlife reservoir of bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: No wildlife reservoir of bovine TB has been identified for eradication. In the event that eradication of a wildlife reservoir was selected as a policy option, it may still be appropriate to retain the option of "ring-vaccination" in zones adjacent to those targeted by eradication. Since it cannot at present be guaranteed that eradication of a wildlife reservoir would completely eliminate bovine tuberculosis, there may still be a need to maintain research towards development of a cattle vaccine.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what reports she has received of badger damage to flood defence works; and what the estimated cost of the damage was.

Elliot Morley: Damage from badgers' setts and tunnels is most likely to be significant in fenland or lowland areas where embankments may be weakened.
	Maintenance of such defences is a matter for the relevant operating authorities, who accordingly do not report such damage as a matter of course.
	Repairs to defences are undertaken as part of authorities' routine maintenance programmes and it is not possible to give figures for the costs of repair due to damage caused by badgers.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the reliability of badger culling trials in areas which are bounded by major physical obstacles which prevent badger entry into cleared areas.

Ben Bradshaw: The Thornbury clearance area was bounded by major motorways and rivers. Complete badger clearance was achieved by repeated gassing of setts with hydrogen cyanide. The area was subsequently recolonised, showing that badgers can migrate across barriers such as motorways. Large expanses of water are probably the only really effective barrier to badger movement.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are taken to ensure that wildlife unit officers and vehicles engaged in work relating to the trapping or destruction of badgers are unrecognisable.

Ben Bradshaw: Wildlife Unit staff wear a range of outdoor clothing suitable for the conditions and environment in which they are working. None is specific to the Department or bears official 'logos'.
	The Wildlife Unit now has a diverse fleet of off road vehicles and none bear any official identification as Crown or departmental vehicles. When necessary number plates of such vehicles have been changed.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer of 28 January 2004, Official Report, column 384W, whether these data indicate that a significant number of herd tests fail to identify infection where it is present; and what her best estimate is of the failure rate.

Ben Bradshaw: The data for 2000 indicate that there were approximately 2 per cent. of confirmed new cases in herds that had been subject to a clear routine whole herd test in the 90 days prior to detection of the infected animal(s) at the slaughterhouse. It is not known how many of these infections started during this 90 day period but after the routine test. In half of these cases, no further animals were found infected at the subsequent check tests.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what evidence her Department has collated on whether badgers have been translocated illegally from the Krebs trials areas.

Ben Bradshaw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 29 January 2004, Official Report, column 484W.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 30 January 2004, Official Report, column 538W, on badgers, to what level the incidence of TB in 1997 was expected to rise by 2003; and what level it reached in 2003.

Ben Bradshaw: The incidence of TB in badgers in 1997 is not known, and no estimation was made of expected incidence by 2003.
	The incidence of a disease is the number of new cases expressed as a percentage of the population at risk. Therefore, for badgers it is not feasible to estimate incidence, as we have no reliable means of estimating the uninfected population or the number becoming infected.

Bovine TB

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reduce the compensation payable to livestock owners for TB.

Ben Bradshaw: Compensation for livestock slaughtered for TB control is paid at the market value of the animals. However, ongoing measures to rationalise compensation will see the introduction of quality assurance methods to control wayward valuations and provide greater accountability.

Fallen Stock

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she has put in hand to ensure the biosecurity of vehicles undertaking the collection of fallen stock from different farms in one journey.

Ben Bradshaw: The EU Animal By-Products Regulation (EC 1774/2002) already controls the collection and transportation of animal by-products, including animal carcases. It requires animal by-products to be transported in a way that ensures there is no leakage from vehicles or containers. It also requires records to be kept of any consignment of animal by-products to assist in the auditing and traceability of this material.
	In addition, general guidance on on-farm biosecurity is available on the Defra website: http://www. defra.gov.uk/animalh/animindx.htm

Fallen Stock

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of whether there is sufficient incineration capacity to deal with material handled by the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme which cannot be processed by rendering.

Ben Bradshaw: No specific assessment of incineration capacity has been made, but the collection and disposal industry as a whole has consistently advised that collectively there is sufficient capacity to dispose of fallen stock under the Scheme.

Fallen Stock

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what issues remain to be resolved before the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme can be introduced.

Ben Bradshaw: The National Fallen Stock Company has had many issues to resolve since its work started in November last year. Many have been relatively straightforward but others have been more complex and the board has advised that these require more time and negotiation to get right. For example, identifying available alternatives required to cope with sheep in full fleece which cannot be rendered, setting up payment and tender arrangements for the collection and disposal industry, and devising fair subscription rates for the pig and poultry sectors. In addition to these practical problems, the company has, with Defra, been required to ensure the scheme as a whole does not contravene the state aid rules of the EU. A state aid notification has been submitted for the scheme and we expect to have further discussions with the European Commission about the scheme before it goes ahead.

Fallen Stock

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons on each occasion she postponed establishment of the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra had lengthy negotiations with the farming unions and other industry bodies between April 2002 and July 2003. On 24 July 2003 it was announced that the basis for sharing the costs of the Scheme and its eventual transfer to industry had been agreed and that the Scheme would go ahead. At that time it was expected that the Scheme would begin in January 2004. That proved to be unachievable. On 24 February the Board of the National Fallen Stock Company and government jointly announced that the launch would have to be postponed. The reasons for this were set out in PQ 1897 to which I would refer my hon. Friend.

Fallen Stock

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial contribution her Department has made to the establishment of the Fallen Stock Subscription Scheme.

Ben Bradshaw: Defra has committed to a contribution of £5 million in the first year, £3 million in the second year and £2 million in the third year of the Scheme after which the Scheme is expected to be self-financing. Devolved administrations have committed to paying proportionate sums. In addition Defra has agreed to pay a further £1 million towards establishing the administration of the Scheme in the first year.

Farm Incomes (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on farm income levels for farmers in Buckingham in each of the last seven years.

Alun Michael: Due to the small number of farms in Buckingham, there is no robust data available on farm incomes for farmers in Buckingham over the last seven years. Net farm income for farms in the East EU "Super Region" and for England over the last seven years are show in the following table.
	
		Net farm income
		
			  East EUSuper Region England 
		
		
			 1996–97 36,636 29,833 
			 1997–98 16,281 13,847 
			 1998–99 5,810 10,359 
			 1999–2000 9,604 7,981 
			 2000–01 11,367 9,886 
			 2001–02 11,997 13,558 
			 2002–03 16,894 16,435 
		
	
	Source:
	Farm Business Survey.
	Net farm income is the return to the principle farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and to the tenant-type capital of the business.

GM Crops

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she was informed that (a) Liberty on its own had proved ineffective as a herbicide used with GMHT fodder maize crops in the United States, and (b) that to overcome this problem Bayer has been promoting the use of Liberty/Atrazine mix since the spring of 2001.

Elliot Morley: The herbicide regime employed on the GMHT crops in the farm-scale evaluations (FSE) was established at the beginning of the trials, based on proposals by the chemical manufacturers and the terms of the experimental license granted by the Pesticide Safety Directorate. These guidelines remained in force throughout the FSE. This herbicide regime will now be specified in writing on the release consent in line with advice given by the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment on 13 January 2004 and the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, on 9 March. Accordingly, anyone intending to grow the GMHT maize will only be able to do so using that herbicide regime that was tested in the FSE.
	Evidence that Liberty alone provided insufficient weed control in the USA, and that it was on occasion mixed with Atrazine emerged in June 2002 and was immediately put to the FSE scientific steering committee for advice. They considered the issue and following assurance from industry that the herbicide regime being used in the FSE suited agronomic conditions in the UK, the committee were content to leave protocols unchanged.

M. bovis

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether M. bovis can survive in silage clamps.

Ben Bradshaw: In a study of M. bovis survival in silage, M. bovis was recovered from laboratory-prepared silage inoculated with 3.5x10 6 colony forming units of M. bovis after 24 hours. The organism was not recovered at six or 12 weeks after inoculation. This indicates that it is unlikely that M. bovis will survive the ensiling process for any length of time if silage is properly prepared.

Market Towns

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what budget (a) was set for 2003–04 and (b) has been allocated for 2004–05 and 2005–06 by each relevant Government Department for the Market Towns Initiative, broken down by English region.

Alun Michael: White Paper offered funding of £37 million to enable the Regional Development Agencies and the Countryside Agency to support market town regeneration in the regions over a period of three years. £32 million was allocated to the Regional Development Agencies and £5 million to the Countryside Agency. The initiative was not established as a national funding programme with an annual budget, but as a means of enabling regional partnerships to target towns in their region according to selection criteria agreed regionally.
	The start of the initiative was delayed in many of the regions due to the Foot and Mouth crisis, with some regions not launching their own initiatives or incurring spend until last year. For this reason data from the Regional Development Agencies on their expenditure is unlikely to be available until the initiative is evaluated.
	Information from the Countryside Agency on its spending to date, broken down by region is given in the following table. The total amount is £11.5 million which is more than double the figure promised in the original figure promised in the Rural White Paper.
	
		Market Towns—Expenditure by region by year2000–01
		
			  HQ North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber West Midlands East Midlands East of England South East South West Total 
		
		
			 Income — — — — — — — — 0 0 
			 Staff costs* 625,000 — — — — — — — — 625,000 
			 Running costs — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Transport — — — — — — — — — 0 
			 Market towns Initiative 154,361 24,594 96,196 32,195 12,361 28,206 29,437 44,130 5,000 426,480 
			 Sub total 779,361 24,594 96,196 32,195 12,361 28,206 29,437 44,130 5,000 1,051,480 
		
	
	
		2001–02
		
			  HQ North East North West Yorkshire and the Number West Midlands East Midlands East of England South East South West Total 
		
		
			 Income -11,500 — -20,000 — — -25,000 — — — -56,500 
			 Staff costs* 765,000 — — — — — — — — 765,000 
			 Running costs — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Market towns Initiative including Transport 338,259 122,674 760,836 370,696 436,478 176,805 300,279 202,209 128,435 2,176,671 
			 Transport 2,352 — 41,527 43,425 187,486 17,183 81,645 97,441 113,303 584,362 
			 Market towns Initiative 335,907 122,674 119,309 267,271 248,992 159,622 218,634 104,768 15,132 1,592,309 
			 Sub total 1,091,759 122,674 140,836 310,696 436,478 151,805 300,279 202,209 128,435 2,885,171 
		
	
	
		2002–03
		
			  HQ North East North West Yorkshire and the Number West Midlands East Midlands East of England South East South West Total 
		
		
			 Income -33,624 — — — — -76,590 — — — -110,214 
			 Staff costs 172,559 51,044 56,384 97,039 41,025 89,242 45,788 65,566 57,040 675,687 
			 Running costs 19,063 4,212 6,091 10,275 4,624 8,763 5,044 12,792 5,448 76,312 
			 Market towns Initiative including Transport 278,797 203,067 349,977 720,086 677,723 474,475 267,117 328,683 270,220 3,570,139 
			 Transport -9,187 57,149 118,253 122,150 468,408 83,883 118,411 73,443 69,846 1,102,356 
			 Market towns Initiative 287,978 145,918 231,724 597,936 209,315 390,592 148,706 255,240 200,374 2,467,783 
			 Sub total 436,789 258,323 412,452 827,400 723,372 495,890 317,949 407,041 332,708 4,211,924 
		
	
	
		2003–04
		
			  HQ North East North West Yorkshire and the Number West Midlands East Midlands East of England South East South West Total 
		
		
			 Income -120,403 — — — -3,979 -22,000 — — — -146,382 
			 Staff costs 596,846 — — — — — — — — 596,846 
			 Running costs 21,000 4,200 4,400 10,100 5,600 7,000 3,200 11,500 5,000 72,000 
			 Market towns Initiative including Transport 197,556 792,392 229,304 376,557 673,542 490,321 217,155 282,737 209,408 2,868,966 
			 Transport 0 50,405 87,806 156,287 242,509 419,818 113,191 123,151 54,236 1,247,403 
			 Market towns Initiative 197,556 141,987 141,498 220,270 431,033 70,503 103,964 159,580 155,172 1,621,563 
			 Sub total 694,999 196,592 233,704 386,657 675,163 475,321 220,355 294,231 214,408 3,391,430 
		
	
	
		Total
		
			  HQ North East North West Yorkshire and the Humber West Midlands East Midlands East of England South East South West Total 
		
		
			 Income -165,527 0 -20,000 0 -3,979 -123,590 0 0 0 -313,096 
			 Staff costs 2,159,405 51,044 56,384 97,039 41,025 89,242 45,788 65,566 57,040 2,662,533 
			 Running costs 40,063 8,412 10,491 20,375 10,224 15,763 8,244 24,292 10,448 148,312 
			 Market towns Initiative including Transport 814,606 518,133 740,117 1,407,339 1,787,743 1,141,601 784,551 813,623 608,063 8,615,776 
			 Transport -6,835 107,554 247,586 321,862 898,403 520,884 313,247 294,035 237,385 2,934,121 
			 Market towns Initiative 975,802 435,173 588,727 1,117,672 901,701 648,923 500,741 563,718 375,678 6,108,135 
			 Sub total 813,361 76,841 167,646 189,892 12,361 86,978 88,978 252,220 5,000 1,051,480 
		
	
	(23) The Countryside Agency accounting system has changed since the Initiative started so a breakdown of running costs and salaries is not possible.
	(24) Funding for transport is included, although it should be noted that this was a separate funding stream. Also, as some schemes were designed to link towns and cannot be attributed to a single town, this information has been excluded
	(25) Regions town by town expenditure may not add up to the total on the overview page. This is due to inclusion of projects which are funded to benefit all towns in a region, such as regional networks or training.

Ministerial Travel

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last used a train in connection with her ministerial duties.

Margaret Beckett: I last used a train on Friday 30 January 2004 to travel to Manchester to officially open the Manchester Airport Ground Transport Interchange.

National Farmers Union

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she last met the National Farmers Union Young Farmers Club; and whether (a) dairy and (b) beef prices were discussed.

Margaret Beckett: I have not held a formal meeting with the National Farmers Union Young Farmers Club.

Renewable Energy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary a of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on recent trends in investment in renewable energy and the effect of those trends upon residents of Crosby.

Stephen Timms: I have been asked to reply.
	Recent trends in renewable energy investment have been highly encouraging. More new capacity has been constructed in the last few years than in the previous decade, and a significant amount is currently in the pipeline. This covers a wide range of technologies including onshore and offshore wind, solar and biomass.
	While this investment has not translated into capacity within Crosby itself there are several wind farm developments, both constructed and proposed, in the surrounding area. The first of these is the 3.6 MW 6 turbine wind farm at Seaforth Docks. It was constructed in 1999 and is roughly three miles from Crosby. The second is the North Hoyle offshore wind farm, which is located around 20–25 miles from Crosby and was opened in November 2003.
	There are also two proposed developments for offshore wind farms relatively near to Crosby. The first of these is the 30 turbine Burbo Bank offshore wind farm, it is due to being constructed in 2005 and will be situated around 5–6 miles out to sea from Crosby.
	The second is the Gwynt-y-Mor site, which has been awarded a licence under round two of the offshore wind programme and would be located around 15–20 miles from Crosby. The award of a site licence option is only the first step in the development of this wind farm, however, it is hoped that it will be completed by 2010.

Severely Disadvantaged Areas

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what alternative schemes for farm payments she has considered for severely disadvantaged areas.

Alun Michael: The CAP agreement provided member states with a number of methods for paying the single farm payment including historic, flat rate and hybrid options. Defra will publish shortly an analysis of the economic impact on the English farming industry of these various broad models, including the decision to allocate entitlement on the basis set out in my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's, statement to the House on 12 February.

Strategic Plant Breeding

Gavin Strang: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the strategic plant breeding research activities that have been supported by her Department in the last 10 years; and what the (a) location and (b) amount of support provided by her Department for each project was in each year of the project's existence.

Ben Bradshaw: A table showing Defra's plant breeding research projects since the formation of the Department have been placed in the Library of the House. Details of the research providers, and their funding in each year are provided. A full list of the relevant MAFF research projects from 1994 to 2001 can be provided if required.
	Defra's current research underpinning crop breeding is informed by an external assessment of the role of publicly funded plant breeding research. The project entitled 'The Role of Future Public Research' investment in the Genetic Improvement of UK Grown Crops was completed in September 2002. The assessment provides a strong rationale for public investment in plant breeding research to support sustainable development in farming and has informed the Defra Science and Innovation Strategy. It has been widely distributed within the research and plant breeding community, and is available on the Defra website.
	Defra's current portfolio centres around the use of public research funds to revitalise public-good plant breeding through partnerships between plant breeders and the research base.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Supreme Court

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the estimated start-up costs are of the new UK Supreme Court; what the estimated running costs are per annum for the first five years of existence of the new UK Supreme Court; and which UK Government department will be responsible for meeting those costs.

Christopher Leslie: The cost of establishing the Supreme Court has been estimated for a number of potential building solutions. For those requiring capital investment, the set up costs have been estimated as being between £6 million and £32 million.
	The estimated annual building running costs range from £1.6 million to £6.5 million. The other operational costs will be in the region of £4.3 million, made up of £3.2 million salaries (including £2.1 million judicial salaries), plus £1.1 million administrative running costs.
	The costs of the UK Supreme Court will be met through fees and through resources provided by the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Carter Report

Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the (a) future training needs, (b) career development and (c) qualifications for members of the Probation Service following the publication of the Carter Report.

Paul Goggins: The structure of the National Offender Management Service is yet to be finalised and the Probation Service will continue to function as it is for the moment. Any future changes to training and career development practices will be subject to the usual consultation arrangement with staff and unions.

Bichard Inquiry

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of the Bichard inquiry; and what costs have been incurred by public bodies which have been required to be represented to date.

Hazel Blears: Costs are estimated in the region of £2 million.
	Costs incurred by other bodies are not known.

Care Homes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many existing care home staff had enhanced level Criminal Records Bureau checks processed by 31 December 2003; what percentage this constitutes of the total number of existing care home staff; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: As at 31 December 2003, the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) had completed 39,943 Enhanced Disclosure checks and 2,477 Standard Disclosure checks on existing care home staff. There are no figures to indicate what percentage of staff this represents.
	In September 2003, the Department of Health issued its schedule to employers and owners in the care sector on the reintroduction of the previously postponed checks on existing care home staff. Initially, employers were asked to send application forms to the CRB by 31 December 2003. Following discussion between the Home Office and the Department of Health, this date was extended to 29 February 2004.

Crime Reporting

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many minor crimes have been reported using the online facility since its introduction.

Hazel Blears: Online minor crime reports from the public have been fed to Police Services via the Police Portal (www.police.uk) since May 2001. Each must be responded to within two working days, though outcomes cannot be differentiated from normal crime figures. The Police Information Technology Organisation tallies the number of online minor crime reports. Incomplete reports trigger referral to other contacts, for example to 999 for emergencies or to a force's own website.
	The following table details yearly online minor crime reports and referrals through the Police Portal since its inception:
	
		
			  Minor crime reports Referrals 
		
		
			 2004 (January to February) 2,318 2,093 
			 2003 14,982 11,461 
			 2002 13,774 9,000 
			 2001 (May to December) 2,009 2,241

Firearms

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) fatalities other than suicides and (b) injuries, were caused by single shot target pistols in each year from 1986 to 1996.

Caroline Flint: The requested information is not available centrally.

Hertfordshire Police Authority

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the level of financial support made available by central Government to the Hertfordshire police authority was in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information is set out in the table.
	
		£ million
		
			  General Government grants(26) Special payments(27) Specific grants and capital grant(28) Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 76.0 0 1.7 111 
			 1998–99 77.2 0 2.0 79.2 
			 1999–2000 79.4 3.0 2.6 85.0 
			 2000–01 92.9 2.8 1.6 97.3 
			 2001–02 99.0 0.6 6.7 106.3 
			 2001–02(29) 96.3 0.6 6.7 103.6 
			 2002–03 98.6 0.3 8.1 107.0 
			 2003–04 101.5 0 9.5 111.0 
			 2004–05 104.8 0 9.5 114.3 
		
	
	(26) General Government grants comprise Home Office Police grant, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates.
	(27) Special payments for transitional costs associated with changes to the boundaries of the Metropolitan Police District from 1 April 2000.
	(28) Includes funding from the Crime Fighting Fund, Basic Command Unit funding, Community Support Officer funding, Special Priority payments, Airwave, the DMA Expansion Programme, South East Allowance payments, capital grant and the Premises Improvement Fund.
	(29) General grant figures for 2001–02 are not directly comparable with 2002–03 due to the change in funding arrangements of NCS and NCIS. Adjusted figures for 2001–02 are therefore included above.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the changes made to the eligibility rules for the home detention curfew scheme, broken down by date.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 23 March 2004
	The following changes have been made to the Home Detention Curfew (HDC) scheme since the scheme was introduced on 28 January 1999.
	On 1 March 2001 those required to register with the police under Part 1 of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 became ineligible for the scheme under the provisions of section 65 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Service Act 2000.
	Following this, on 1 May 2002 the Presumptive HDC scheme was introduced. Under the scheme prisoners serving sentences of between three months and under 12 months are released on Home Detention Curfew for the latter part of their sentence unless there are compelling reasons not to do so. This streamlined scheme is applicable to low risk only, less serious offenders. Drug dealers, violent and sexual offenders are not eligible for Presumptive HDC.
	On 16 December 2002 the maximum curfew period was extended from 60 to 90 days and then, on 14 July 2003, the curfew period was extended further to 135 days. At the same time, a presumption against suitability for release on HDC was introduced for offenders serving sentences for certain serious violent offences. These offences include attempted murder, explosives offences, possession of an offensive weapon, cruelty to children and racially aggravated offences. In addition, prisoners with any current or previous history of sexual offending, not already barred from HDC, are presumed unsuitable for release. Further, also with effect from 14 July 2003, young offenders, under the age of 18, sentenced to a term of detention under Section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Court (Sentencing Act) became eligible for consideration for HDC. Prior to that date all prisoners under 18 years-of-age were statutorily excluded from HDC.
	Finally, with effect from 14 January 2004 notorious prisoners whose release may undermine public confidence in the scheme are referred to the Chief Executive of the National Offender Management Service, who takes the final decision whether, after taking all matters into consideration and the individual circumstances of the case, early release is appropriate.

Home Detention Curfew Scheme

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library copies of circulars to governors and other communications to prison authorities issued this year which included instructions on the operation of the home detention curfew scheme.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 23 March 2004
	Yes.

Human Embryos

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions were taken against laboratories found experimenting on human embryos over 14 days in each year since 2000.

Paul Goggins: Persons proceeded against for offences of experimenting on human embryos over 14 days under section 41 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 cannot be separately identified in the statistics collected centrally.

Internet Pornography (Children)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many pornographic images of children have been removed from the internet following investigations by (a) police and (b) their agencies in each year since 2000.

Paul Goggins: It is not possible to say how many indecent images of children have been removed from the internet as a result of police or other investigations. Even where an internet site is closed down following an investigation, many of the images that were on it may remain in circulation through other websites, newsgroups, or other internet activity. Nor can we be certain how many sites hosted outside the UK have been closed down following reports originating within the UK. Figures from the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) show that the percentage of sites reported to them found to contain illegal images of children which were hosted in the UK fell from 18 per cent. in 1997, to 3 per cent. in 2000, and to 1 per cent. in 2003. The number of sites within the UK identified in each year from 2000 is given in the table. In each of these cases the internet service providers concerned removed the offending material and police inquiries were made. In 2003 the IWF also identified 510,000 indecent photographs of children carried on newsgroups through the UK's Usenet infrastructure, resulting in access to these being stopped by the IWF members who provide a Usenet feed to their customers.
	
		Number of UK hosted sites identified as potentially illegalby the IWF
		
			  Potentially illegal content: UK 
		
		
			 2000 74 
			 2001 80 
			 2002 88 
			 2003 34 
			 Total 276

Mobile Cells

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were locked into mobile cells in (a) Northampton, (b) Corby and (c) Wellingborough in each of the last two weeks.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 22 March 2004
	No prisoners were locked into mobile cells in Northampton, Corby or Wellingborough in the last two weeks.

Licensing Act

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under (i) section 172, (ii) section 172a and (iii) section 173 of the Licensing Act 1964 in each year since 1997; and how many landlords have had their licences revoked due to breach of these provisions.

Paul Goggins: The information on the number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under the Licensing Act 1964, sections 172, 172A and 173, England and Wales 1997 to 2002 is contained in the table.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
	Information on the number of landlords who have had their licences revoked due to breach of these conditions is not collected centrally.
	
		Persons proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts under the Licensing Act 1964, sections 172, 172A and 173, England and Wales 1997 to 2002(30)
		
			 Offence description/Statute Proceeded against Found guilty 
		
		
			  Permitting drunkenness or riotous conduct on the premises or selling liquor to a drunken person/Licensing Act 1964, section 172 
			 1997 9 4 
			 1998 22 11 
			 1999 13 10 
			 2000 10 2 
			 2001 10 5 
			 2002 7 4 
			  Relevant person working in licensed premises to permit drunkenness or violent behaviour etc./Licensing Act 1964, section 172A as added by Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 S.32 
			 1997 n/a n/a 
			 1998 n/a n/a 
			 1999 n/a n/a 
			 2000 n/a n/a 
			 2001 n/a n/a 
			 2002 1 — 
			  Person in licensed premises procuring intoxicating liquor for a drunken person or aiding a drunken person to obtain drink/Licensing Act 1964, section 173 
			 1997 3 2 
			 1998 5 3 
			 1999 2 1 
			 2000 — — 
			 2001 — — 
			 2002 1 — 
		
	
	n/a = Not applicable.
	(30) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Misuse of Computers Act

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been for unauthorised (i) access to computer material, (ii) access to computer material with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences and (iii) modification of computer material under the Misuse of Computers Act 1990 in each year since 1990, broken down by region.

Paul Goggins: The available information, for England and Wales, from 1992 to 2002, is contained in the table.
	Statistics on court proceedings for 2003 will be published in the autumn.
	
		Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences under the Computer Misuse Act 1990(31), by region, England and Wales 1992 to 2002
		
			  Section 1(32) Section 2(32) Section 3(32) 
			 Year/region Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty Proceeded against Found guilty 
		
		
			 1992   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a — — 1 2 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a — 2 1 1 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 London n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 South East n/a n/a 1 1 1 1 
			 South West n/a n/a — — 2 — 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — 6 2 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 1 3 6 6 
			
			 1993   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a 1 — 1 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — 2 2 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 West Midland n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 London n/a n/a — 1 — — 
			 South East n/a n/a — — 1 1 
			 South West n/a n/a — — 2 — 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — — — 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 1 1 7 4 
			
			 1994   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a — — — 1 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 London n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 South East n/a n/a — 1 — 1 
			 South West n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — — — 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a — 1 3 2 
			 1995   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a — — — — 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 London n/a n/a — — 2 1 
			 South East n/a n/a — — 2 1 
			 South West n/a n/a 1 — — 2 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — — — 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 1 — 5 4 
			
			 1996   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East Midland n/a n/a — — — — 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 East n/a n/a 1 — — — 
			 London n/a n/a 1 1 — 4 
			 South East n/a n/a — — 1 1 
			 South West n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — — — 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a 2 1 2 5 
			
			 1997   
			 North East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 North West n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East Midlands n/a n/a — — — — 
			 West Midlands n/a n/a — — — — 
			 East n/a n/a — — 1 — 
			 London n/a n/a — — 5 3 
			 South East n/a n/a — — — — 
			 South West n/a n/a — — — — 
			 Wales n/a n/a — — — — 
			 England and Wales n/a n/a — — 7 3 
			
			 1998   
			 North East — — — — — — 
			 North West — — — — 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1 1 — — — — 
			 East Midlands 1 1 — — — — 
			 West Midlands — — 3 1 1 — 
			 East 1 — — — — — 
			 London — — — — 1 1 
			 South East 3 1 — — — — 
			 South West — — — — 1 — 
			 Wales — — 3 1 — 3 
			 England and Wales 6 3 6 2 4 4 
			
			 1999   
			 North East — — — — — — 
			 North West — — 1 1 1 — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside — — — — — — 
			 East Midlands 1 — — — 1 2 
			 West Midlands 1 1 — — — 1 
			 East — — — — — 1 
			 London — — — — — — 
			 South East 3 2 — — 2 2 
			 South West — — — — — 1 
			 Wales 1 — 2 — — — 
			 England and Wales 6 3 3 1 4 7 
			
			 2000   
			 North East 1 1 — — — — 
			 North West 1 1 — — — — 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2 2 — — — 1 
			 East Midlands — — — — 1 1 
			 West Midlands 1 1 — — 1 — 
			 East — — 1 1 1 1 
			 London 2 2 2 1 2 — 
			 South East — — — — 1 1 
			 South West — — — — 1 — 
			 Wales 1 2 — — 1 — 
			 England and Wales 8 9 3 2 8 4 
			
			 2001   
			 North East — — — — — — 
			 North West — — — — 3 3 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside — 2 — 1 7 4 
			 East Midlands — — — — 1 1 
			 West Midlands 1 1 1 1 — — 
			 East 1 1 — — — 7 
			 London 1 1 2 1 1 2 
			 South East 1 1 1 — — — 
			 South West 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Wales 4 2 — — — — 
			 England and Wales 9 9 4 3 12 19 
			
			 2002   
			 North East — — — — — — 
			 North West — — 1 — 1 1 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside — — — 1 — — 
			 East Midlands 2 — 1 — 1 — 
			 West Midlands — — 1 1 1 — 
			 East — — — — — — 
			 London — — — — 4 4 
			 South East — — 1 — 1 1 
			 South West 2 2 2 3 — — 
			 Wales — — — — — 1 
			 England and Wales 4 2 6 5 8 7 
		
	
	(31) Sections of the Computer Misuse Act 1990 are as follows:
	Section 1—unauthorised access to computer material
	Section 2—unauthorised access with intent to commit or facilitate commission of further offences
	Section 3 unauthorised modification of computer material
	(32) These data are on the principal offence basis.

Offending Behaviour Courses

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners serving a sentence for (a) burglary, (b) offences of violence and (c) drug related offences have completed an offending behaviour course in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following tables contains information on the number of programmes completed by prisoners sentenced for burglary, violence and drug offences:
	
		
			  Completions of Accredited offending behaviour programmes(33) , (34) Percentage of receptions under sentence serving12 months or more completing Accredited programmes 
		
		
			 1993–94 548 2.65 
			 1994–95 839 3.73 
			 1995–96 1,185 4.81 
			 1996–97 1,450 5.15 
			 1997–98 2,654 8.77 
			 1998–99 3,501 11.50 
			 1999–2000 5,024 16.61 
			 2000–01 6,516 21.87 
			 2001–02 6,709 22.26 
			 2002–03 7,647 23.28 
		
	
	(33) Prison Statistics England and Wales 2002 Cm 5996.
	(34) Programmes delivered in a particular year are not necessarily delivered to prisoners received into prison in that year.
	
		(a) Burglary
		
			  Completions of Accredited offending behaviour programmes by those with an index offence for burglary Percentage of receptions under sentence serving12 months or more for burglary completing Accredited programmes 
		
		
			 1993–94 Not available Not available 
			 1994–95 Not available Not available 
			 1995–96 Not available Not available 
			 1996–97 268 5 
			 1997–98 658 10 
			 1998–99 807 13 
			 1999–2000 1,161 18 
			 2000–01 1,382 20 
			 2001–02 1,383 25 
			 2002–03 1,511 25 
		
	
	
		(b) Violence against the person
		
			  Completions of Accredited Offending Behaviour Programmes by those with an index offence for violence Percentage of Receptions Under Sentence Serving12 months or more for violence completing Accredited Programmes 
		
		
			 1993–94 Not available Not available 
			 1994–95 Not available Not available 
			 1995–96 Not available Not available 
			 1996–97 69 1 
			 1997–98 187 4 
			 1998–99 306 6 
			 1999–2000 618 13 
			 2000–01 931 19 
			 2001–02 974 19 
			 2002–03 1,062 19 
		
	
	
		(c) Drug offences
		
			  Completions of Accredited offending behaviour programmes by those with an index offence for drug offences Percentage of receptions under sentence serving12 months or more for drug offences completing Accredited programmes 
		
		
			 1993–94 Not available Not available 
			 1994–95 Not available Not available 
			 1995–96 Not available Not available 
			 1996–97 112 3 
			 1997–98 228 5 
			 1998–99 408 8 
			 1999–2000 754 15 
			 2000–01 1,002 19 
			 2001–02 1,175 21 
			 2002–03 1,533 28 
		
	
	Note:
	The tables (a) to (c) are based on index offence and do not include sex offences where violence may have been a feature of the offence, and only cover the following programmes—ETS, R and R, CALM, CSCP, and RAPt.
	The Prison Service also provides a range of education programmes and other activities aimed at rehabilitation and increasing the opportunity for prisoners to find employment and accommodation on release.

Offending Behaviour Courses

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prisoners completed a course to address offending behaviour in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Not all prisoners are suitable for accredited offending behaviour programmes. Selection for an accredited programme is subject to an assessment of a prisoner's risk of re-offending and individual need. The duration of the programme is also taken into consideration.
	Information on the number of programmes completed by prisoners sentenced to one year or over is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Completions of Accredited offending behaviour programmes(35) , (36) Percentage of receptions under sentence serving12 months or more completing Accredited programmes 
		
		
			 1993–94 548 2.65 
			 1994–95 839 3.73 
			 1995–96 1,185 4.81 
			 1996–97 1,450 5.15 
			 1997–98 2,654 8.77 
			 1998–99 3,501 11.50 
			 1999–2000 5,024 16.61 
			 2000–01 6,516 21.87 
			 2001–02 6,709 22.26 
			 2002–03 7,647 23.28 
		
	
	(35) Prison Statistics England and Wales 2002 Cm5996
	(36) Programmes delivered in a particular year are not necessarily delivered to prisoners received into prison in that year.
	The Prison Service also provides a range of education programmes and other activities aimed at rehabilitation and increasing the opportunity for prisoners to find employment and accommodation on release.

Operation Safeguard

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police forces are on standby for Operation Safeguard.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 22 March 2004
	It is not planned to activate Operation Safeguard at this time. No police forces have been placed on standby for the routine use of police cells:

PACE Convictions

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted under section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Section 25 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act gives the police a general power of arrest for the purposes of enabling the police to prosecute for a non-arrestable offence or to prevent a crime from being committed. The statistics collected centrally on persons proceeded against and those convicted do not enable those originally arrested under this power to be separately identified.

Prison Cells

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many and what percentage of prison cells in England and Wales were equipped with a television in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: Historical information on the number of cells in use and the number of cells with in-cell television is not kept centrally.
	The Government announced that in-cell television would be made available across the prison estate as part of the incentives and earned privileges scheme, on 1 June 1998, Official Report, columns 50–51. Prior to 1998, only a small number of television sets were available in individual prisons. The number available was not centrally recorded. Figures for the number of televisions delivered to establishments in each year since 1998 are as follows.
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1998 10,388 
			 1999 4,938 
			 2000 12,477 
			 2001 12,471 
			 2002 11,455 
		
	
	These figures include replacement sets so do not relate directly to the number of televisions in use.

Prison Education

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 722W, on prison education, what assessments are made of the educational needs of each individual prisoner.

Paul Goggins: All establishments provide an induction programme and initial assessment of each offender's literacy and numeracy skills. Assessment materials must be referenced to the national standards for adult literacy and numeracy.

Prison Education

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 721W, on prison education, how many heads of learning and skills have been appointed; and if he will make a statement on their roles and responsibilities.

Paul Goggins: 120 Heads of Learning and Skills have been appointed to the adult estate. Of these, 118 are in post.
	Their role is to:
	lead the strategic planning process for learning and skills activities throughout their establishment in order to promote a vision of the prison as a secure learning centre;
	promote, plan and co-ordinate all learning and skills activity, including programmes provided by the voluntary/community sector, in order to provide a comprehensive and coherent learning and skills programme for all prisoners;
	ensure management information systems are in place to record accurately all required data relating to learning and skills provision so that outcomes can be assessed;
	ensure that learning and skills are central to the sentence planning process in order to achieve an effective transition for offenders from custody into the community; and
	oversee their establishment's quality improvement group, ensuring that a quality improvement strategy, a self-assessment report, action plan and development plan are produced.

Prison Education

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 March 2004, Official Report, column 721W, on prison education, what level of increased investment is being made by his Department, over the next three years, to increase opportunities for learning and skills across the range of prison activities.

Paul Goggins: The Department for Education and Skills is responsible for the funding of Learning and Skills in prisons. Funding for prison education and training in 2003–04 is £97 million, rising to £122 million in 2004–05 and £135 million in 2005- 06.

Prison Officers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many minority ethnic prison officers (a) joined and (b) left the Prison Service in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many minority ethnic prison officers have resigned from the Prison Service within (a) six months, (b) one year and (c) two years of starting their employment in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: Information relating to the total number of minority ethnic prison officers who joined and left the Prison Service in each of the last five years is contained in the following table. The figures include existing Prison Service staff who converted to the prison officer grade during the period, and are based on voluntary declarations by staff.
	
		
			   Minority Ethnic Prison Officers 
			   Number of recruits andconversions to PrisonOfficer  Number of PrisonOfficers leaving theService 
			  Number Percentage of total Number Percentage of total  
		
		
			 1999 53 5.2 26 3.1 
			 2000 78 7.5 26 2.9 
			 2001 36 7.6 38 2.8 
			 2002 108 6.7 50 4.0 
			 2003 140 5.9 60 4.3 
		
	
	Information on the number of minority ethnic prison officers who resigned from the Prison Service between 1 August 2000 and 31 December 2003 during their first two years of service is given in the following table.
	
		
			   Minority Ethnic Prison Officers 
			  Resigned within six months of appointment Resigned between six and 12 months of appointment Resigned between one and two years of appointment 
		
		
			 August to December 2000 2 — — 
			 2001 — — 5 
			 2002 3 1 — 
			 2003 2 — 1 
		
	
	Information relating to length of service for staff who left the Service prior to August 2000 is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons (Accommodation)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons where prisoner accommodation is due to be refurbished in the next 12 months, indicating those where the work (a) is expected to proceed as planned, (b) has been brought forward and (c) has been put on hold.

Paul Goggins: The following prisons are scheduled to be part of the wing refurbishment scheme during the next financial year:
	Lincoln
	Preston
	Wakefield
	Wandsworth
	Pentonville
	Winchester
	In addition, work to improve conditions in other prison wings may take place, while this up-grading work is being undertaken.
	In order to increase capacity across the prison estate, some refurbishment work may have to be deferred. Decisions on which schemes may be affected are still subject to consideration.

Prisons (Male Estate)

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the expected cost of re-rolling (a) HM Prison Winchester and (b) HM Prison Edmund's Hill is; and how many additional places the changes will create for the male estate.

Paul Goggins: There will be no significant increase in building costs, beyond the provision of gender-specific facilities and possible adjustments to physical security, in the re-role of the West Hill wing at HMP Winchester and of HMP Edmund's Hill. Area and local managers are working to establish security, regime and staffing profiles appropriate to the new role. Therefore, full costs or savings are not yet available.
	The re-role of HMP Edmund's Hill will make 310 places available for male prisoners. The West Hill wing of HMP Winchester will initially provide a further 87 places for male prisoners, with an additional 40 bed unit becoming available in May 2004.

Private Security Act

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timetable is for implementing the Private Security Act 2001.

Hazel Blears: The Security Industry Authority (SIA) commenced licensing of door supervisors in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight on 1 March 2004. It is proposed to roll out licensing of door supervisors across the rest of the country on a phased geographical basis from June 2004 to April 2005. Door supervisors in Wales will be able to apply for an SIA licence from 14 June 2004 and must be in possession of an SIA licence by 6 September 2004. On current plans, the timetable for the introduction of licensing in the other industry sectors covered by the Private Security Industry Act 2001 is as follows: Vehicle Immobilisers from late 2004; Manned Guards and Keyholders in 2005; and Security Consultants and Private Investigators in 2006.
	The timetable for the introduction of the approved contractor scheme is under consideration by the Authority.

Probation Service

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on the Probation Service of its April 2001 re-organisation.

Paul Goggins: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1285W.

Resettlement Programmes

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of long-term prisoners have completed a resettlement programme in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many and what percentage of long-term prisoners serving a sentence for (a) burglary, (b) offences of violence and (c) drug related offences completed a resettlement programme in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The information requested is not available. Long-term prisoners are provided with a range of help with their resettlement needs prior to release. There is a particular focus on helping them secure employment and accommodation, through partnership working with employers, Jobcentre Plus and housing providers.
	Up to 1,500 long-term prisoners at any time are able, subject to appropriate risk assessment, to undertake unpaid community work or training on day release under licence. Up to another 1,500 long-term prisoners at any time are able, subject to appropriate risk assessment, to undertake paid work in the community on day release under licence. These opportunities help the prisoners make a managed transition back to life in the community, as well as gaining skills and experience which will help them secure employment on release.

Secure Training Centres

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to alter the monitoring regime for secure training centres; and whether each secure training centre will continue to have a full-time on-site monitor.

Paul Goggins: Under section 8 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 each contracted-out secure training centre (STC) must have a monitor. There are no plans to change that requirement.
	Since the first STC opened in 1998 the Home Office and the Youth Justice Board have built up substantial monitoring experience. We believe the lessons learned can and should be applied more widely across the juvenile secure estate. To do that the Youth Justice Board is introducing a new regional performance monitoring regime. This will cover STCs alongside Young Offender Institutions and Local Authority Secure Children's Homes.
	The nominated STC monitors will combine their STC role with other, regional performance monitoring; they will be supported by assistant monitors on-site; and as part of the changes STC monitoring will be strengthened by including along with contract compliance the reception and induction arrangements, key performance indicators, key safeguarding indicators and safety tests.

Suicide (Websites)

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received concerning the presence of websites and internet chatrooms that promote suicide; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: In the last 12 months the Home Office has received representations about two cases of suicide in which these websites are alleged to have been a contributing factor.

Winchester/Edmunds Hill Prisons

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the decision was made to move women prisoners from (a) Winchester and (b) Edmunds Hill prisons; how many women prisoners are to be moved; and to which prisons they are being sent.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 22 March 2004
	The announcement on 11 March 2004 closely followed the decision to re-role HMP Edmunds Hill and the West Hill wing at HMP Winchester, as a prompt response to changing population pressures. There was a short delay in the announcement to allow for staff in these establishments to be informed of the decision before the information became public. Decisions on where prisoners will be moved to will be made on an individual basis, to help ensure that each prisoner is held at an establishment that is appropriate for their needs.
	As at 11 March 2004, there were a total of 364 female prisoners in HMP Edmunds Hill and the West Hill wing of HMP Winchester. Those who have not reached their release date by the time the re-role occurs will be transferred to other establishments.

Wormwood Scrubs

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made in implementing the recommendations made in internal inquiry reports relating to allegations of prison officer abuse at Wormwood Scrubs; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Governor at Wormwood Scrubs has implemented the recommendations that have emerged from various completed inquiries and, aided by the Area Manager, ensures that current arrangements are regularly monitored and audited.
	Recommendations relating to Wormwood Scrubs, but implemented nationally include:
	Setting up a Professional Standards Unit to monitor all investigative and disciplinary processes and to oversee staff corruption issues.
	Introducing new investigative procedures.
	Developing more effective audit processes of all functions in prisons including segregation units.
	Adopting robust policies on alcohol consumption during duty hours including closure of staff clubs.
	Streamlining new selection and succession planning for managers.
	Developing new partnership arrangements with Health Care trusts that provide improved care for prisoners.
	Improving the Area Manager/Governor line management arrangements.
	Improving grievance procedures and introducing systems that ensure the integrity of the processes.
	Introducing better training for investigators.

Young Offenders

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hours per week were spent, on average, by inmates in young offenders institutions (a) in educational activities, (b) on physical exercise and (c) in their cells in 2003.

Paul Goggins: During the current financial year to February 2004, prisoners in Young Offender Institutions undertook an average of 7.1 hours of education activity per week and 3.9 hours of physical exercise. This average is suppressed by the number of prisoners held on remand or unsentenced who are not obliged to participate in educational activities.
	The length of time prisoners spent in their cells is not collected routinely.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether placement conferences are routinely held to decide in which penal institution children should be held.

Paul Goggins: The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) has overall responsibility for placement in the juvenile secure estate. There are three types of accommodation—Young Offender Institutions, Secure Training Centres and Local Authority Secure Children's Homes.
	Where a young person is remanded to custody the YJB places them in the young offender institution serving the court they are appearing at.
	If a young person receives a detention and training order the YJB decides which establishment is most appropriate, taking into account their age and maturity and the vulnerability assessment made by the youth offending team.
	Young people sentenced under sections 90 or 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 are placed by the Juvenile Group at Prison Service Headquarters , in consultation with the YJB .
	Conferences are not routinely held to decide each placement, but all are reviewed by the youth offending team officer and the establishment . The YJB arranges transfers where more suitable placements are identified.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether juveniles who reach the age of 18 while serving a detention and training order are automatically transferred out of the juvenile prison estate.

Paul Goggins: Juveniles who reach the age of 18 while serving a detention and training order will normally remain in the juvenile prison estate until their transfer to the community.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what procedures are in place to ensure that children who are part way through GCSE courses when they are received into prison can continue their courses.

Paul Goggins: Education departments within prisons are registered with examination boards for the delivery of a number of core curriculum subjects for children who are taking GCSEs. Schools and young offender institutions work together to offer opportunities for progress to those who have already commenced GCSEs and to ensure they continue with their courses in the community on release.
	If a GCSE subject is more unusual and cannot be supported in custody to GCSE standard, then either specialist teaching staff are brought in or alternative GCSEs or accreditation opportunities such as in Key Skills level 2 are offered.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which prisons in the juvenile estate give night-time breakfast packs to inmates.

Paul Goggins: Of the establishments in the Prison Service juvenile estate, Eastwood Park, Lancaster Farms and New Hall routinely provide night-time breakfast packs as a matter of course. Bullwood Hall, Hindley, Huntercombe and Stoke Heath provide them in certain circumstances, for example where a young person has to be produced in court early the next morning.

Young Offenders

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that young offenders are detained near their (a) homes and (b) families.

Paul Goggins: In its management of the prison population, the Prison Service aims to hold prisoners in establishments that provide the degree of security they require, are suitable for their gender, age and legal status, provide special facilities appropriate to prisoner needs, and are near to their homes or the courts dealing with their cases. Sentenced young offenders have to be held separately from adult prisoners
	Considerable emphasis is also placed on encouraging all prisoners, including young offenders, to maintain their family ties. We recognise that this helps them to achieve a better transition from custody to resettlement, and is therefore an important factor in reducing re-offending.

Young Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 6 January 2004, Official Report, column 328W, on young offender institutions, which establishments are equipped with (a) unfurnished cells and (b) other types of special accommodation.

Paul Goggins: Special accommodation includes cells designated as 'special' or 'unfurnished'. The following establishments in the juvenile estate are equipped with special accommodation:
	Ashfield
	Brinsford
	Bullwood Hall
	Castington
	Feltham
	Hindley
	Huntercombe
	Lancaster Farms
	New Hall
	Parc
	Stoke Heath
	Warren Hill
	Werrington
	Wetherby

Young Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1262W, on juvenile prisoners, for what reasons the use of unfurnished cells was judged to be unnecessary at (a) Eastwood Park, (b) Holloway, (c) Huntercombe, (d) Lancaster Farms, (e) Parc, (f) Thorn Cross, (g) Warren Hill, (h) Werrington and (i) Wetherby.

Paul Goggins: Special accommodation may be used for the temporary confinement of a violent or refractory prisoner, but only if its use:
	(i) Is necessary in order to prevent the prisoner causing self-injury, injuring another prisoner or staff, or damaging property, or creating a disturbance; and
	(ii) Has been properly approved (i.e. No prisoner shall be placed in special accommodation except on the prior authority of the Governor/Controller in charge).
	These establishments did not use unfurnished cells between January 2002 and December 2003 for one or more of the following reasons:
	(i) They do not have unfurnished cells, or they use special cells or ordinary segregation accommodation;
	(ii) Staff were able, on the basis of individual risk assessment, to deal with the violent or refractory behaviour by means other than using special accommodation.

Young Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 9 February 2004, Official Report, column 1262W, on juvenile prisoners, what the (a) average number of hours and (b) longest number of hours spent in unfurnished cells was at (i) Castington, (ii) Feltham, (iii) Hindley and (iv) Stoke Heath in 2003.

Paul Goggins: Castington did not use unfurnished cells during 2003. Data on the average length of time and the longest length of time spent in unfurnished cells at Feltham, Hindley and Stoke Heath young offender institutions in 2003, is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Establishment Average number of hours Longest number of hours 
		
		
			 Feltham 1 hour 5 minutes 4 hours 30 minutes 
			 Hindley 45 minutes 1 hour 15 minutes 
			 Stoke Heath 7 hours 1 minute 20 hours 45 minutes

Young Offenders

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many attacks there were on prison officers in each young offenders' institution in each month from June 2003 to the most recent month for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The number of assaults on prison officers in each young offender's institution is detailed in the table.
	
		
			  2003 2004 
			 Establishment name June July August September October November December January February March 
		
		
			 Aylesbury — — 1 — — — — — — — 
			 Brinsford — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Castington — — — — — 1 — — — — 
			 Deerbolt — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Feltham — 1 — — 1 — 1 — 1 — 
			 Glen Parva — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Hindley — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Lancaster Farms — — 1 — — — 2 — 1 — 
			 Northallerton — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Onley 2 — — — 1 1 — — — — 
			 Portland — — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Reading — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Rochester — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Stoke Heath 2 1 — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Swinfen Hall — — — — — — 1 — — — 
			 Thorn Cross — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Warren Hill — — — — — — — — — — 
		
	
	The Prison Service categorises establishments by their main role. Establishments that have more than one role are placed in the category that represents the primary or dominant function of the prison. The establishments referred to in the answer are categorised as Young Offender Institutes as they hold a predominantly Young Offender population.

Prison Visiting

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is a limit on the number of children who may visit a parent in prison.

Paul Goggins: There is no limit on the number of children who are able to attend social visits in prisons. However, prisons with fixed, rather than freestanding furniture in their visits halls sometimes experience difficulties in accommodating larger families together. In these instances, there is an expectation that establishments will be flexible and make appropriate arrangements to assist them.

Prison Visiting

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on visits to prisoners in Highpoint prison by more than three of their children at any one time.

Paul Goggins: The prisoner visits booking system currently in use at Highpoint prison allows for one main visitor over 18 years old, two further visitors over the age of 10 and up to four children under the age of 10. A new system is shortly to be introduced which will raise the number of children able to visit to nine.

Youth Offending Teams

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total budget allocated to youth offending teams is for (a) drugs and (b) alcohol programmes in 2003–04.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 22 March 2004
	In 2003–04 the Youth Justice Board paid £8.5 million in grant support to Youth Offending Teams for substance misuse work, which includes drugs and alcohol problems. It does not set separate amounts for each type of problem.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Association of British Insurers

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ask a third party to examine the accuracy and impartiality of the information the Association of British Insurers is collating on the separation of long tail disease risk and accident risk, as referred to in his Department's Second Stage Report on the review of Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance.

Des Browne: As well as the Government's consideration of this work we understand that the Association of British Insurers (ABI) is consulting with a wide range of third parties including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), the Engineering Employers' Federation (EEF), the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC).

Benefits Reforms (Scotland)

Frank Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had concerning the introduction of Jobcentre Plus to Scotland.

Des Browne: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Mr. Roy, dated 25 March 2004
	As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning what discussions have taken place concerning the introduction of Jobcentre Plus to Scotland. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus came into existence as a national organisation at the beginning of April 2002. The Benefits Agency and Employment Service ceased to exist at the same time. The new service is being rolled out across England, Wales and Scotland on a district by district basis. Nearly 400 integrated Jobcentre Plus offices are now operating across the country, 33 of which are in Scotland. Integrating the whole of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency's services for people of working age and creating the national network of Jobcentre Plus offices will not be completed until 2006.
	During 2002–2003, 23 offices were successfully introduced across Grampian, Moray, Orkney and Shetland District and Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute District. Implementation is ongoing in Glasgow, Lothian and Borders and Tayside Districts. Rollout planning schedules are at an advanced stage for the remaining Districts; Ayrshire Dumfries and Galloway, Edinburgh, Fife, Forth Valley and Dunbartonshire Highlands and Western Isles and Lanarkshire. Our aim is to complete rollout of Jobcentre Plus throughout Scotland by 2006.
	As each district starts to plan for the introduction of the new integrated Jobcentre Plus, service delivery arrangements are shared with local stakeholders, MPs and others. The service delivery arrangements are shared at the initial proposal stage, amended to take account of comments received where appropriate, then shared again when approval for the plans has been given. This is an integral part of the planning process for the introduction of the Jobcentre Plus service across England, Wales and Scotland.
	District Managers are provided with a list of suggested stakeholders for this initial planning stage. These include; local MPs/MEPs/MSPs/Members of the National Assembly of Wales, Local Authorities, programme providers/service delivery partners, employers, Citizens Advice Bureaux, and welfare rights organisations. This list is not exhaustive and each District Manager may identify their own local stakeholders.
	As part of the consultation process District Managers may also canvass the opinions of their customers and any comments they provide will be used as part of the planning process. We also take account of views expressed by stakeholders representing groups such as unemployed workers and pensioners. Any concerns or issues raised by these groups as a result of the consultation process will be addressed at district level and are fed in to each district's planning before the final decision is made for roll out of Jobcentre Plus in that district.
	Jobcentre Plus managers at all levels maintain close contact with many local and national organisations representing our client base. This enables continuous feedback concerning the services that we provide before, during and after the roll out of the new Jobcentre Plus services.

Company Stakeholder Pension Schemes

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on action taken in relation to companies who are unable to find an insurer to set up a company stakeholder pension scheme with.

Malcolm Wicks: The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) is responsible for regulating compliance with the requirement for employers to offer access to stakeholder pension schemes.
	Opra has not found any cases, or received any reports, of employers being non-compliant with the requirement because they could not find a suitable stakeholder pension scheme provider. Opra is satisfied that there is an adequate number of schemes open to employers, so no specific action is required. Opra is monitoring the position.
	If an employer is required to designate a stakeholder pension scheme for their employees they should first check the register of stakeholder pension schemes on Opra's website which will give addresses of providers. This also gives details of restrictions on membership and availability to designate.

Departmental Policies (Hackney)

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the impact of his Department's policies on the constituency of Hackney, North and Stoke Newington since 1997.

Des Browne: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001; since then, we have undertaken a fundamental overhaul of the welfare system, transforming it from a passive organisation paying out benefits to an active system that fights poverty, creates opportunity and helps people become self-sufficient and independent.
	We are making a significant contribution to the Government's objective of eradicating child poverty in 20 years and halving it within 10, and there are now half a million fewer children in relative low income than there were in 1997. Child Benefit is now worth £16.05 a week for the eldest child, compared to only £11.40 in 1997, benefiting 13,200 families in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington.
	Through Jobcentre Plus, we are promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age. The number of people in work is at historically high levels of over 28.27 million. Unemployment in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington has halved and long-term unemployment has fallen by over 75 per cent.
	Our New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, disabled people, the over 50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. Nationally over 1,029,000 people have been helped into work by the New Deals, and over 9,500 have been helped into work in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington.
	We want all pensioners to have a decent and secure income in retirement and to share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country, and our first priority has been to help the poorest pensioners. The Government will be spending an extra £10 billion in 2004–05 on pensioners as a result of measures introduced since 1997; this is £6 billion more than an earnings link would have given them. Almost half the extra spending, around £5 billion, is going to the poorest third of pensioners.
	Pension Credit, introduced from October 2003, provides a contribution to a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over and, for the first time, those over aged 65 and over may be rewarded for modest savings and income. Around 4,559 pensioner households in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington are already benefiting from Pension Credit, with an average award of £69.81 per week.
	We know that older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty, and this winter (2003–04) we have made available a Winter Fuel Payment of £200 for each eligible household to help with their fuel bills. In addition, the introduction of the 80 plus annual payment gives an extra £100 to households where there is someone aged 80 or over. So far 10,120 older people in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington have received a payment this winter; of those 1,865 have received the 80 plus annual payment.
	On 17 March, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, in his Budget statement, announced a £100 pension payment to households with someone aged over 70, to help with council tax bills.
	Some 8,900 pensioners in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington benefited from the above inflation increase in the rate of basic state pension from April 2003. Those over 75, of whom we estimate there are about 3,700 in Hackney, North and Stoke Newington, may also qualify for free TV licences.

Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what representations he has received from (a) individual businesses and (b) trade associations on difficulties in accessing affordable employers' liability compulsory insurance cover since December 2003.

Des Browne: The Department has received seven representations from individual businesses and five representations form trade associations on difficulties in accessing affordable employers' liability compulsory insurance cover since December 2003.
	In addition the Department continues to discuss these issues with business representatives and trade associations on a regular basis.

EU Accession Countries

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate the Government have made of how many EU accession country citizens will make use of the benefits system in the UK.

Chris Pond: A number of studies have been published which offer estimates of the number of people coming to the United Kingdom from the EU accession countries, but these do not take into account the measures announced on 23 February by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and the steps we are taking to publicise them in the countries most concerned. Consequently no precise estimate of the numbers likely to travel to the UK and claim benefits has been made.

Health and Safety

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many inspectors have been employed by the Health and Safety Executive in each year since 1997; and what the forecast number is for the current year.

Des Browne: The table contains the information on the number of inspectors employed by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 1 April for the years 1997 to 2003; and the planned number for 1 April 2004.
	
		Inspectors employed by HSE
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 1,442 
			 1998 1,437 
			 1999 1,497 
			 2000 1,507 
			 2001 1,534 
			 2002 1,625 
			 2003 1,651 
			 2004 (37)1,657 
		
	
	(37) Planned number.

Pension Centre Staffing

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many full-time equivalent departmental staff are employed in each pension centre.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested (up to the end of February 2004) is in the table.
	
		
			  Full-time equivalent staff 
		
		
			 Derby 301.05 
			 Leicester 278.00 
			 Nottingham 214.29 
			 Norwich Baltic 280.74 
			 Norwich Kingfisher 269.41 
			 London Pension Centre (Glasgow) 517.96 
			 London Pension Centre (Newcastle) 626.92 
			 Dearne Valley 436.22 
			 Seaham 364.32 
			 Stockton 313.10 
			 York 304.83 
			 Burnley 582.14 
			 Stockport 713.93 
			 Warrington 467.91 
			 Dundee 534.18 
			 Motherwell 466.29 
			 Blackpool 191.16 
			 Liverpool 267.29 
			 Cwmbran 242.92 
			 Wrexham 387.09 
			 Bath 406.57 
			 Plymouth 383.87 
			 Swansea 542.05  
			 Birmingham 358.49 
			 Walsall 264.71 
			 Wolverhampton 390.00

Pension Service (IT Facilities)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether local Pension Service staff have IT facilities (a) to view customers' details and (b) to record ongoing action on the Pension Service database whilst conducting (i) a home visit and (ii) a surgery; what the average time taken for the appropriate pension centre (A) to input this information and (B) to amend existing records on the main database is; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Currently The Pension Service local service staff do not have the IT facilities to enable electronic access to customer benefit details or to record ongoing action while conducting a home visit or surgery.
	Local service staff do have access to laptop computers and a programme is underway to provide all DWP laptop users with secure remote access to the full IT facilities, including customer benefit details.
	Prior to any booked appointment the local service member of staff will preview the customer's details and take any necessary information to the visit or surgery. During the visit or surgery if further information is required staff are equipped with mobile telephones with which they can contact their office for assistance.
	The Pension Service does not collect information on each stage of its processing. The organisation has published its handling targets in The Pension Service Business Plan for 2003–04.

Pensions

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Government's target in respect of funded pensions.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are committed to continuing their strategy which balances fairness and affordability by targeting state support at those who need it most while encouraging private funded provision for those who can afford to save and rewarding those who have done so.
	The Pensions Bill, introduced to the House in February is one part of our programme of reform which bolsters protection for pension scheme members through the introduction of the Pension Protection Fund and The Pensions Regulator. These measures, if approved, will provide people with increased confidence that a pension they have saved will be delivered.
	In addition, Simplicity, security and choice: Informed choices for working and saving (Cm 6111) set out the action this Government are taking to empower individuals to take control of their retirement planning.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what (a) temporary and (b) permanent changes to the level of written evidence needed to support an application for pension credit have been implemented by his Department; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if it is his Department's policy to require written evidence of the value of (a) occupational pensions, (b) premium bonds and (c) income tax payments when assessing pension credit applications; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Applications for Pension Credit are assessed on the basis that the decision maker must decide, on the balance of probability, whether the information given in the application is correct. As a general rule, written evidence is required of income and of savings and investments above 6,000 (or 10,000, for someone in a care home). Written evidence will normally be required, where relevant, of occupational pensions, premium bonds of 100 or more and income tax deductions.
	Our aim is to ensure that Pension Credit is easy to apply for and we continually review our processes to ensure that this is so. We have listened to comments from customers, pension providers and staff and have introduced a number of relatively minor changes to the written evidence which we require. These include, where appropriate, applying an automatic increase to non-state second pensions, where customers are unable to provide details of the rate and date of any proposed increase, inferring the current amount and frequency of non-state second pensions from bank statements and accepting photocopies of documents such as bank statements, savings books and wage slips if the customer is unable or unwilling to provide originals. The changes have been introduced through normal business practices and are subject to ongoing evaluation.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer, net of savings in means-tested benefits and additional income tax revenues, of paying a full basic state retirement pension to every individual aged 65 or over, regardless of contribution record, at the rate of the guarantee credit and subsequently indexed to earnings, in each of the next five financial years, assuming that no new rights accrue to the state second pension and that no new rights accrue to the savings credit from the date of implementation of the scheme.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table.
	
		
			  Net cost (£ billion) 
		
		
			 2004–05 9.2 
			 2005–06 9.4 
			 2006–07 9.9 
			 2007–08 10.5 
			 2008–09 11.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are for Great Britain in 2003–04 price terms rounded to the nearest £100 million. It is assumed the change comes into effect from April 2004 and payment is uprated in line with earnings thereafter.
	2. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with Budget 2004 assumptions and use 2002 based population projections.
	3. The costs take into account income related benefit offsets, which are calculated using the DWP policy simulation model and April 2004 benefit rates.
	4. Additional income tax revenue is estimated by the Inland Revenue using 2004 tax rates.
	5. The savings from abolishing the State Second Pension are calculated by the Government Actuary's Department and are consistent with the long term Public Expenditure Survey forecasts. No allowance has been made for changes to contracting out rules.
	6. The savings credit is assumed to be frozen, payments uprated by prices, with no new recipients after 2004. Figures for 2004 and 2005 are based on published medium term forecasts, while those for 2006–07 and beyond are based on the illustrative long-term projections of benefit expenditure underlying Annex A of the Budget report.

Unemployment (Wales)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps are being taken to aid job placement for the unemployed in Wales.

Des Browne: Our active labour market policies ensure people can take advantage of the many job opportunities coming up all the time. This is especially true for those most disadvantaged; the long-term unemployed, lone parents, people with disabilities and older workers.
	The development of Jobcentre Plus is building on the high quality service already provided by social security offices and Jobcentres by delivering a single, integrated service to all people of working age, with a clear focus on work. The introduction of work-focused interviews enables more people to take advantage of the increasing opportunities to move into work by, for the first time, offering everyone of working age advice and guidance on the full range of Jobcentre Plus programmes. In the year up to January 2004 Jobcentre Plus had been notified of 200,000 vacancies in Wales.
	There are currently 1.31 million people in work in Wales. This is an increase of 28,000 over the last year and of 100,000 since 1997. Our New Deal has helped over 63,000 people into employment in Wales and our Employment Zones and Action Teams have additionally helped more than 1,600 of the hardest to help people in to work.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

David Chidgey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Interim Election Commission, the Joint Electoral Coordination Office and the Coalition intend to address the effects of (a) cultural barriers to female participation, (b) low literacy rates and (c) the current number of electoral registration offices outside Kabul in ensuring full voter registration and participation in Afghanistan.

Mike O'Brien: Women are being encouraged to participate in the electoral process through specially targeted civic education programmes and the use of all-women voter registration teams to register women. In order to overcome the low literacy rates in Afghanistan, voter education programmes are using a wide range of media to provide information on the electoral process including television, radio, public meetings and graphic posters.
	A number of regional voter registration centres have now closed having completed the process in the larger population centres. As of 22 March 2004, 60 centres were in operation outside Kabul. This will increase to a total of 4,200 centres when the accelerated registration begins in May.

Climate Change

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent work his Department has carried out to assess the international security implications of climate change; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Helping to launch new action to reinvigorate the international response to climate change is one of the specific aims set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Strategy published in December 2003. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Potential linkages between climate change and international security include increased pressure on food and water resources and energy supplies, which in turn (and in combination with other factors) may contribute to the causes of migration, instability and conflict. FCO policies and diplomatic work to promote effective international action against climate change are underpinned by our belief that the global costs of inaction would be high.
	The FCO has been involved in work co-ordinated by DEFRA to identify how policy and operational responsibilities could be affected by climate change. Where appropriate, we consider climate change along with other environmental issues in formulating policy on international and security issues. Through our network of overseas Posts, we have disseminated to wider international audiences modelling produced in the UK on climate change impacts scenarios. Within the EU, we have supported efforts to integrate disaster prevention into EU development and environmental priorities. We believe that this work will help to increase understanding of adverse impacts of climate change internationally.

Cyprus

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policy response the Government will make to the proposals by the Turkish authorities in the North of Cyprus seeking further derogations to the EU acquis as a precondition to their agreement to a settlement in Cyprus; whether the Government have communicated the proposals to the Government of Turkey; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The UK is working to support the UN Secretary-General's good offices mission in Cyprus and, along with other members of the European Council, has declared its readiness to accommodate the terms of a Cyprus settlement in line with the principles upon which the EU is founded.
	Once a settlement is finalised and approved by both communities it will be for the European Union to accommodate those arrangements, in order for a reunited Cyprus to join the EU on 1 May. The EU should not become an obstacle to a settlement that has been agreed by the parties themselves.
	The UK has not communicated any proposals from the Turkish authorities in northern Cyprus to the Turkish Government.

Eritrea/Ethiopia

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the (a) Eritrean and (b) Ethiopian Governments observe the rulings of the Independent Boundary Commission; and what action it is taking where these rulings are ignored.

Chris Mullin: The UK, and other members of the Security Council, will continue to press Ethiopia to accept the Boundary Commission decision, which is final and binding, and begin a comprehensive political dialogue on all of the issues separating them. We have welcomed the appointment of the UN Special Envoy, Lloyd Axworthy, and are urging both parties to work with him on resolving their differences.

Eritrea/Ethiopia

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent involvement the UK Government has had in the dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

Chris Mullin: I most recently discussed the border dispute with the Eritrean ambassador, together with a visiting representative of the Eritrean Government, on 18 March 2004 I also discussed the border with Eritrean President Isaias in Asmara on 15 January 2004 and with Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles in Addis Ababa on 16 January 2004. On each of these occasions I reiterated to the parties that the Boundary Commission's decision is final and binding and urged them to engage in political dialogue on all of the issues separating them.

EU Budget

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what powers payments by the United Kingdom to the European Union budget are made.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	United Kingdom contributions to the EC budget are made under the European Communities Act 1972 as amended. This provides the framework within which the UK makes payments required by or under the Treaties listed in section 1(2) of that Act.

European Court of Human Rights

David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) petitions were received and (b) cases were dealt with by the European Court of Human Rights in the latest year for which figures are available; and how many and what percentage of each total related to each Council of Europe member state.

Denis MacShane: The information requested is as follows.
	(a) 30,828 applications were received in 2002 by the European Court of Human Rights;
	(b) 18,765 cases were dealt with in the same year (844 judgments, 17,349 applications declared inadmissible, and 530 applications struck off).
	A breakdown of how many and what percentage of the total relate to each Council of Europe member state is as follows:
	
		Applications received
		
			 State Applications 2002 Percentage of cases per member state 
		
		
			 Albania 19 0.061 
			 Andorra —  
			 Armenia 21 0.068 
			 Austria 400 1.297 
			 Azerbaijan 123 0.398 
			 Belgium 247 0.801 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina 32 0.103 
			 Bulgaria 588 1.907 
			 Croatia 757 2.455 
			 Cyprus 37 0.12 
			 Czech Republic 465 1.508 
			 Denmark 120 0.389 
			 Estonia 104 0.337 
			 Finland 222 0.72 
			 France 2,789 9.046 
			 Georgia 37 0.12 
			 Germany 1,668 5.41 
			 Greece 351 1.138 
			 Hungary 263 0.853 
			 Iceland 5 0.016 
			 Ireland 85 0.275 
			 Italy 1,304 4.25 
			 Latvia 256 0.83 
			 Liechtenstein 3 0.009 
			 Lithuania 422 1.368 
			 Luxembourg 44 0.142 
			 Malta 9 0.029 
			 Moldova 221 0.716 
			 Netherlands 562 1.823 
			 Norway 76 0.246 
			 Poland 4,173 13.536 
			 Portugal 245 0.794 
			 Romania 1,927 6.25 
			 Russia 4,006 12.994 
			 San Marino 5 0.016 
			 Slovak Republic 418 1.355 
			 Slovenia 256 0.83 
			 Spain 797 2.585 
			 Sweden 357 1.158 
			 Switzerland 275 0.892 
			 FYRO Macedonia 86 0.278 
			 Turkey 3,036 9.848 
			 Ukraine 2,549 8.268 
			 United Kingdom 1,468 4.761 
			 Total 30,828 100 
		
	
	
		Cases dealt with(38)
		
			 State 2002 Percentage of judgments per member state 
		
		
			 Albania — — 
			 Andorra — — 
			 Armenia — — 
			 Austria 20 2.3697 
			 Azerbaijan — — 
			 Belgium 14 1.658 
			 Bosnia and Herzegovina — — 
			 Bulgaria 3 0.355 
			 Croatia 9 1.066 
			 Cyprus 6 0.71 
			 Czech Republic 4 0.473 
			 Denmark 2 0.236 
			 Estonia 1 0.118 
			 Finland 5 0.592 
			 France 75 8.886 
			 Georgia — — 
			 Germany 9 1.066 
			 Greece 25 2.962 
			 Hungary 3 0.355 
			 Iceland — — 
			 Ireland 1 0.118 
			 Italy 391 46.327 
			 Latvia 2 0.236 
			 Liechtenstein — — 
			 Lithuania 5 0.592 
			 Luxembourg 1 0.118 
			 Malta — — 
			 Moldova — — 
			 Netherlands 11 1.3033 
			 Norway — — 
			 Poland 26 3.08 
			 Portugal 33 3.909 
			 Romania 27 3.199 
			 Russia 2 0.236 
			 San Marino — 0.016 
			 Slovak Republic 7 0.829 
			 Slovenia 1 0.118 
			 Spain 3 0.355 
			 Sweden 7 0.829 
			 Switzerland 4 0.473 
			 FYRO Macedonia 1 0.118 
			 Turkey 105 12.44 
			 Ukraine 1 0.118 
			 United Kingdom 40 4.739 
			 Total 844 100 
		
	
	(38) Breakdown available only for judgments.

Government Hospitality

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost to public funds is of the Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the purchase of wine, in the current financial year.

Jack Straw: holding answer 24 March 2004
	The Government Hospitality Advisory Committee for the Purchase of Wine cost approximately £6,000 in the financial year 2003–04. The work of the Committee is managed by an established civil servant, whose salary is paid by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in the Kosovo towns of (a) Mitrovica, (b) Orahovac and (c) Pristina.

Jack Straw: Kosovo Force (KFOR) reports that the situation in these towns is calm but tense. We have called upon all the leaders in Kosovo and Belgrade to show restraint and use their influence to calm the situation. It is important that they continue to work with KFOR and the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo to build a stable, democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the future of Kosovo within a Serbia-Montenegro federation.

Jack Straw: Our policy on Kosovo is based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 (1999) and the UN endorsed review process of agreed standards, launched in December 2003. As part of this there will be a formal review of Kosovo's progress in meeting the agreed standards in mid 2005. If it were positive, but only if, it could allow a process to begin to determine Kosovo's future status.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the reconstruction programme required in Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, the Kosovo Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) and the NATO Force for Kosovo are in the process of assessing the damage caused by the recent violence and. the extent of the reconstruction programme required. The PISG has announced the allocation of Kosovo funds to rebuild Serb Churches and homes.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received from the Serbia and Montenegro Government regarding Prime Minister Kostunica's proposal for the cantonisation of Kosovo.

Jack Straw: We have received no such representations from Serbia and Montenegro. However, on a number of occasions since taking office on 3 March 2004, Serbian Prime Minister Kostunica has stated publicly his Government's preference for the decentralisation of Kosovo through entities or cantons to ensure the security of the Serb community in Kosovo.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the Kosovo Serbs' proposal regarding establishment of Serb enclaves within Kosovo.

Jack Straw: We are not aware of any formal proposal by the Kosovo Serbs regarding establishment of Serb enclaves within Kosovo.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met his counterparts from other EU member states to discuss matters relating to the security situation in (a) Kosovo and (b) Serbia and Montenegro.

Jack Straw: On 22 March 2004.

Kosovo

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the extent to which the borders between (a) Kosovo and Albania and (b) Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are adequately secured; and who controls them.

Jack Straw: Responsibility for border control points in Kosovo is held by the Kosovo Police Service under the authority of the UN Interim Administrative Mission in Kosovo. Responsibility for the border security of Kosovo, including adjacent to the border with Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, rests with the NATO-led Kosovo Force. On the Macedonian side of the border, responsibility for border crossing points rests with the Macedonian Border Police, and for the rest of the border with the First Army Brigade. On the Albanian side of the border, the Albanian Police are responsible for border control. We assess that Kosovo's borders with both Albania and Macedonia are adequately secured.

Kurds (Iraq)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the US and international community that (a) Saddam Hussein and (b) Ali Hassan Al-Majid be charged under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article II in respect of the massacre of Kurds at Halabja and through the Anfal campaign.

Bill Rammell: On 10 December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) established the Iraqi Special Tribunal to try major crimes committed under the former Ba'athist regime. The Transitional Administrative Law signed on 8 March 2004 confirms the establishment of the Tribunal.
	Article 10 of the Statute of the Tribunal gives it jurisdiction over the crime of genocide which is defined (in Article 11) in accordance with the Genocide Convention. Although it is for the Iraqis to decide what charges will be brought against Saddam Hussein and Ali Hassan Al-Majid we expect that the charges would involve incidents such as the 1988 attack on Halabja and the Anfal campaign.

Kurds (Iraq)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the international community regarding (a) the integrity of Iraq's borders and (b) the need to ensure Kurdish security in respect of Turkey and Iran; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are committed to maintaining the territorial integrity of Iraq, as re-affirmed in UN Security Council Resolution 1511. We have been in regular contact with Iraq's neighbours to urge them to take steps to ensure better security on their borders with Iraq. We have been working hard to improve border security through increased personnel, new technology and tighter procedures. There are currently 8,000 Iraqi border police in place and the Coalition is aiming to double this number. In the north the US military have taken on this role in the Kurdistan Regional Government administered areas.

Opinion Sampling

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on (a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Focus groups and internal/external opinion polls are not managed centrally. The subject of the group or poll would determine which department within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) managed it. For example, the FCO's Information Directorate (responsible for explaining UK foreign policy, creating systems to deliver this information, both internally and to the public, and the development of relationships with the FCO's key partners in shaping and communicating policy) spent £311,000 on focus groups and polls in 2003–04. To collate all costs relating to groups and polls would incur disproportionate costs.

Pakistan

Bill Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assurances he has received from Pakistan regarding the prevention of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Denis MacShane: During recent discussions with the Pakistani Government, assurances were given that Pakistan would investigate fully the past proliferation activities of Abdul Qadeer Khan and those associated with him. They have also undertaken to make changes to the system of control of their nuclear programme in order to prevent the future transfer of technology.

Press Officers

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what the total cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The number of UK based press officers working in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Press Office in 2003–04 is 17 and their cost for the year is estimated to be £738,353. Costs comprise salary, employer's national insurance contributions and employer's pension contributions. There are further press officers based at overseas posts however their numbers and costs could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. For years prior to 2003–04 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 January 2003, Official Report, column 469W.

Taiwan

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the People's Republic of China concerning Her Majesty's Government's policy towards Taiwan; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The People's Republic of China raises Her Majesty's Government's Taiwan policy regularly at official and ministerial level. During his visit on 1–11 March Chinese vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui discussed Taiwan with my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.
	The UK's position on Taiwan status remains unchanged. We believe the question of Taiwan is a matter for the people on both sides of the Taiwan straits to settle peacefully among themselves.

Weapons of Mass Destruction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the weapons of mass destruction held by Israel and (b) that nation's (i) entry into and (ii) adherence to international agreements on such weapons.

Bill Rammell: The Government continue to urge Israel to resolve international speculation about its possession of weapons of mass destruction by acceding to the relevant international Treaties.
	The Government support the creation of a Middle East zone free of weapons of mass destruction and urges all states, both in the region and elsewhere, to accede to, and adhere to, all the International Treaties and Conventions covering such weapons.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Department-Funded Programmes

Paul Goodman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding has been allocated in (a) 2004–05, (b) 2005–06 and (c) in total to (i) the Community Empowerment Fund, (ii) the Single Regeneration Budget and (iii) urban regeneration companies.

Yvette Cooper: Community Empowerment Fund Budget allocations for the Community Empowerment Fund are tabled as follows, broken down by English region:
	
		Budget allocation to community empowerment fund -- £
		
			 Region 2003–04 2004–05 Total 
		
		
			 East 228,033 228,033 456,066 
			 East Midlands 905,245 905,245 1,810,490 
			 London 2,654,485 2,654,485 5,308,970 
			 North East 1,824,502 1,824,502 3,649,004 
			 North West 2,967,301 2,967,301 5,934,602 
			 South East 436,573 436,573 873,146 
			 South West 465,082 465,082 930,164 
			 West Midlands 1,132,771 1,132,771 2,265,542 
			 Yorks and Humber 1,386,008 1,386,008 2,772,016 
			 All regions total 12,000,000 12,000,000 24,000,000 
		
	
	Single Regeneration Budget
	In 2001, the Single Regeneration Budget was subsumed into the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) Single Programme ('Single Pot') from which RDAs will continue to fund existing SRB commitments. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's planned contribution to the RDA's Single Pot is £1,456 million for 2004–05 and £1,513 million for 2005–06, totalling £2,959 million over the two year period.
	Urban Regeneration Companies (URCs)
	Funding allocations for capital projects in each URC are not held centrally and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not fund urban regeneration companies directly. Each URC has its own set of funding partners, which finance the company. Budget allocations from the regional development agencies and English Partnerships, for the 2004–05 running costs of each URC, are set out in my written answer of 4 March 2004, Official Report, column 1108W. Allocations for 2005–06 will be of a similar order.

Departmental Buildings

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will list the (a) address and (b) latest valuation of his Department's London-based building assets; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what his latest estimate is of the value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has two building assets in London, Burlington House, Piccadilly and the Queen Elizabeth II Conference centre. Although the latter is operated by an Agency of the Office, the building is held as an asset centrally.
	The central block of Burlington House is owned freehold by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and is let on a long lease to the Royal Academy. It has a balance sheet value of nil.
	The Quadrangle Buildings at Burlington House are also owned freehold, and are occupied by Learned Societies. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister envisages the continued presence of those Societies at Burlington House and discussions are continuing with them with a view to finalising the arrangement. The balance sheet value of the buildings is £1.35 million.
	The current book value of the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre building is £24 million. This was derived through annual indexation changes to a full independent valuation of £20 million as at 1 April 1999. The building is due to be re-valued as at 1 April 2004.

Government Publicity

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of whether the leaflets (a) A new opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber, (b) A new opportunity for the North West and (c) A new opportunity for the North East meet the criteria of the guidance on Government publicity and advertising; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The information campaign to inform the public of the Government's intention to hold referendums in the three regions is being conducted in accordance with the requirements of the Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is satisfied that both the text and the design of all three leaflets meet the criteria of this guidance.

Government Publicity

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his Department sought the opinion of the Electoral Commission before publishing the leaflets (a) A new opportunity for the North, (b) A new opportunity for the North West and (c) A new opportunity for Yorkshire and the Humber.

Nick Raynsford: No. We are however in regular contact with the Electoral Commission on all matters relating to referendums on elected regional assemblies that are within their remit.

Housing Bill Consultation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list those respondents to the consultation on the Draft Housing Bill who were (a) in favour of and (b) against the requirements for local authorities to seek ministerial consent before introducing (i) additional licensing of houses in multiple occupation and (ii) designating an area for selective licensing.

Keith Hill: The following consultees were:
	(a) in favour of the requirements to seek Ministerial consent before introducing additional licensing of houses in multiple occupation: Universities UK; British Property Federation;
	(b) against such requirements: Nottingham city council;
	(c) in favour of the requirement to seek Ministerial consent before designating an area for selective licensing: North East Housing Forum; Brian Butler Esq.; Universities UK; British Property Federation;
	(d) against such requirements: Gateshead Metropolitan borough council; Greenwich London borough council; Reading borough council.

Housing Management/Maintenance Allowance

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will assess the difference between the level of housing management and maintenance allowance for Brent council in 2003–04 calculated using national crime statistics and the level using more local crime statistics;
	(2)  for what reason crime levels used in the calculation of housing management and maintenance allowances are county-wide figures; and if he will use more local figures in such calculations;
	(3)  what assessment has been made of the impact of the new arrangements for housing management and maintenance allowances on the Government's child poverty strategy;
	(4)  if he will reflect the costs of administering a housing service to areas with high ethnic minority populations in the formula used to calculate management and maintenance allowances;
	(5)  if he will amend the management and maintenance allowance for housing revenue accounts to take account of overcrowding.

Keith Hill: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister made proposals to revise the calculation of management and maintenance allowances within Housing Revenue Account subsidy in a consultation paper published in July 2003. Following consultation the new methodology was adopted for 2004–05 and onwards.
	The research underlying the proposals found that crime levels were a significant driver of an authority's relative need to spend. Although the original proposal was to use county-wide crime figures, respondents to the consultation suggested that appropriate figures were available at individual local authority level. In the calculation of the allowances for 2004–05, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister therefore calculated a relative crime rate for each individual local authority by comparing the recorded crime figures at the local and national level. County level figures were not used. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister plans to continue to use local authority level relative crime rates in future years.
	The management and maintenance allowances for 2003–04 did not use the new methodology and therefore did not include any crime figures. As both the national and local figure feeds into the calculation for 2004–05, it is not possible to compare the difference between allowances using either one of these figures. Using the methodology as outlined, the combined allowance for Brent for 2004–05 after transitional protection is £1,892.85 per dwelling.
	With data currently available, it is not possible to assess the direct impact of the new arrangements on the Government's Child Poverty Strategy. However, the new methodology is widely recognised as achieving a better allocation of resources across all authorities, and the overall increase in resources for local authority management and maintenance has been welcomed as recognising the important role that housing management plays in meeting a number of the Government's priorities.
	In discussions with the local authority associations, the extra costs associated with administering a housing service in areas with high ethnic minority populations were cited as costs of dealing with the consequences of racial harassment and also translation and interpretation costs. The use of the local recorded crime rate is intended to cover issues around the former. It was not possible to include the latter as there is a lack of robust data both on the numbers of languages spoken in each authority and on the actual size of the additional costs incurred.
	There are no plans to review the allowances to take account of overcrowding.

Local Authority Standards Committees

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether central funding is available for training for members of local authority standards committees.

Nick Raynsford: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funds the Standards Board for England, one of whose roles is to issue guidance to authorities on matters relating to the conduct of members of authorities. The Board has produced a range of guidance to assist members of standards boards to carry out their role. The aim is for local authorities to base the training they provide to members on guidance and advice from the Standards Board.

Local Authority Standards Committees

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the training offered to members of local authority standards committees.

Nick Raynsford: Recent research commissioned by the Standards Board for England, one of whose roles is to issue guidance to authorities on matters relating to the conduct of members of authorities, has indicated a high level of satisfaction with the guidance and advice provided by the Board. For example, 82 per cent. of people questioned said they were very or fairly satisfied with the published information and guidance.

Local Government Grants

Matthew Green: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what average percentage of the total expenditure of (a) county, (b) district, (c) metropolitan and (d) London authorities was spent on the Local Government Pension Scheme in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Raynsford: For all local authorities in England, it is estimated that 2.2 per cent. of net current expenditure in 2001–02 was on employers' pension contributions to pension schemes other than the teachers, police and fire schemes. Most of this expenditure will be on the Local Government Pension Scheme.
	23 local authorities, where authorised, also made payments to pension schemes from capital funds under section 40(6) of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989. This amounted to 1.3 per cent. of total capital expenditure and other transactions in 2001–02.
	Information by class of authority is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Statutory Officers

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he last reviewed the disciplinary process for local government statutory officers; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The arrangements under which a council handles any allegation of misconduct by its head of paid service, monitoring officer or chief finance officer were last amended in 2001. We have no plans to review them.

Local Government Statutory Officers

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local government statutory officers have been (a) suspended and (b) dismissed in each year since the current disciplinary processes were enacted; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Statutory Officers

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister under what circumstances a local government statutory officer can be (a) suspended and (b) dismissed; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The Local Authorities (Standing Orders)(England) Regulations 2001 set out the arrangements for councils to handle allegations of misconduct by their head of paid service, monitoring officer or chief finance officer. These arrangements provide that no disciplinary action (apart from suspension in order to allow investigation of the allegation) may be taken by a local authority in respect of such officers other than in accordance with a recommendation in a report made by an independent person appointed under the Regulations to investigate the allegation. If the authority does suspend the officer it must be on full pay and may only be for a maximum period of two months. The independent person may, once appointed, choose to extend the period of suspension if he feels it necessary to enable him to carry out his investigation.

Local Government Statutory Officers

Nigel Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) average and (b) longest elapsed times between initiation of the disciplinary process and (i) suspension and (ii) dismissal in cases involving local government statutory officers has been since the current regulations were enacted; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Raynsford: The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Parliamentary Questions

Graham Brady: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many days on average his Department took in Session 2002–03 to give a substantive answer to a parliamentary Question for Ordinary Written Answer; and what the greatest number of days taken to answer such a Question was.

Yvette Cooper: The effective handling of parliamentary questions is an issue to which my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and ministerial colleagues attach great importance. In the Session 2002–03, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister answered 72.3 per cent. of its Ordinary Written Questions on time. The information requested is not held in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Regional Policy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government's financial guarantee for the regions post-2006 is dependent on the UK proposals for an EU framework for devolved regional policy being implemented.

Nick Raynsford: The Government stated in its consultation document "A modern regional policy for the United Kingdom" March 2003 that the guarantee would apply
	"If the Government's proposed framework for EU policy were agreed 1 ."
	1 Page iv, foreword.

South East England Development Agency

Andrew Turner: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight, of 10 March 2004, Official Report, columns 1524–26W, on the South East England Development Agency, if he will provide equivalent information for each preceding period of 12 months since 1998; and if he will list the new businesses created through such programmes.

Nick Raynsford: I will write to the hon. Member as soon as the information is collated and will make a copy of the letter available in the Library of the House

Tetra

Norman Lamb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will investigate MM02 Airwave's activities in relation to the installation of Tetra masts for police communications.

Yvette Cooper: Parliament has entrusted local planning authorities with the responsibility for day-to-day planning control in their areas.
	If there is concern that a local planning authority has not acted properly in a particular case it is possible to ask the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate whether there has been maladministration. However, it is advisable to put any complaints to the local authority's monitoring officer (through the Chief Executive's Office, if necessary) in the first place, so that the authority has the chance itself to resolve the complaint.

HEALTH

Soya Contamination

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the research carried out by Professor Denis Murphy of the Biotechnology Unit of Glamorgan University into the contamination of UK soya products by GM soya.

Melanie Johnson: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has noted the research carried out by Glamorgan University and the conclusions drawn by Professor Murphy. The FSA published a similar survey on the genetically modified content of foods in 2002. This survey showed a small number of products contained low levels of genetically modified material.
	The FSA supports practical and enforceable labelling of genetically modified ingredients to ensure that consumers are not misled.

Care Homes

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason inspection reports on care homes by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC), together with subsequent responses by care home owners, are not published in full on the NCSC website.

Stephen Ladyman: The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) publishes the reports of its inspections in full on its website. Responses from providers are included wherever possible, although there have been difficulties in uploading this information onto the NCSC's computer system. The website makes it clear that provider comments are available from the NCSC office that originated the inspection or from the provider directly.

Weil's Disease

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) farmers, (b) members of farming families and (c) farm workers were reported as suffering from Weil's disease in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: Weil's disease is a serious infection with leptospiral bacteria. Not all leptospiral infections will result in the development of Weil's disease. Data collected include, but do not distinguish between farmers and their family members. The figures for all laboratory-confirmed reports of leptospiral infections in England and Wales since 1997 are set out as follows. Figures are not yet available for 2003.
	
		
			  Total Leptospirosis human infections Infections in farmers (including family members) Infections in farm workers 
		
		
			 1997 39 7 4 
			 1998 29 8 4 
			 1999 41 3 5 
			 2000 54 14 5 
			 2001 27 5 3 
			 2002 (39)47 10 3 
		
	
	(39) Data are provisional
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre 1997–2002

Ashford (Middlesex) Hospital

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the accident and emergency department at Ashford (Middlesex) Hospital was closed and replaced by an emergency department; and what the difference between the two facilities is.

Rosie Winterton: The accident and emergency (A and E) department at Ashford Hospital has not been closed. It remains open 24-hours a day accepting a wide range of medical and surgical emergencies. However, in October 2000 one group of seriously injured patients, those with trauma injuries, were diverted to St. Peter's Hospital, to reflect the concentration of specialist trauma care at St. Peter's.
	The diversion from Ashford Hospital to St. Peter's Hospital was made to improve further clinical outcomes for trauma patients and at the same time the trust renamed the A and E department in Ashford Hospital to 'emergency department'.
	There is a standard departmental classification system for A and E departments. Ashford Hospital's A and E rating is unchanged. It remains a type 1 A and E, which is a major multi-specialty consultant led 24-hour service, with full resuscitation facilities and designated accommodation for the reception of accident and emergency patients.
	Classification does not depend on the name of the service. This is, within certain rules, a matter for the local health service. The official description remains A and E but emergency department is increasingly used as a local alternative.

Cancer Research

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for (a) breast cancer, (b) cervical cancer and (c) cancer of the prostate, (i) the number of cases diagnosed, (ii) the number of recorded cases and (iii) the amount of Government money spent on research in financial year 2003–04.

Melanie Johnson: The latest available figures of new cases of cancer diagnosed in England are for 2000. In that year a total of 34,045 new cases of breast cancer, 2,424 new cases of cervical, cancer and 23,109 new cases of prostate cancer were recorded.
	Figures for government expenditure on research on specific types of cancer are not available. However analysis carried out in 2002 by the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI), which co-ordinates research activity among government bodies, charities and the pharmaceutical industry, indicates that of the combined spend that was available for analysis, around 40 per cent. was attributable to specific tumour sites. Approximately 18 per cent. was on breast cancer, approximately 4 per cent. on cervical cancer and approximately 8 per cent. on prostate cancer. This does not include national health service research and development support funding.
	Prostate cancer is the only cancer that has a Department of Health funding target for research, of £4.2 million a year by the end of 2003–04, and we are on track to achieve this target.

Cardiac Care

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to (a) extend the National Service Framework to cover cardiac arrhythmias and (b) set targets for their diagnosis and treatment;
	(2)  if he will make representations to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence that its appraisal of pacemakers (a) examines utilisation rates and (b) takes into account the views of the British Cardiac Society.

Melanie Johnson: On 12 March the Government announced the establishment of an expert group to advise the Department of Health on future policy on sudden cardiac death and cardiac arrhythmia.
	This could lead to the drafting of a new national service framework (NSF) chapter setting out the standards and models of care for these conditions. The group will be chaired by the National Clinical Director for Heart Disease, Dr Roger Boyle with voluntary and professional organisations including Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and the British Cardiac Society being invited to join. Patients and families of patients will also have a strong voice in the work.
	The British Cardiac Society are one of the many professional groups contributing to the ongoing National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) appraisal of their 2000 guidance on the use of implantable cardioverter defibrillators for arrhythmias. The 2000 report provided guidelines for utilisation rates, and any further recommendations will be made using the best evidence available. NICE are also conducting an appraisal on dual chamber pacing to assess the clinical and cost effectiveness of dual chamber pacemakers compared with single chamber pacemakers, and both appraisals will feed in to the work of the newly-formed group.

Child Obesity

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what involvement the NHS had in the health day organised by the Wirral and Deeside Standing Conference of Women's Organisations on ways to tackle children's obesity on 26 February; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Chlamydia

Phil Sawford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have taken part in the chlamydia screening programme since it was launched.

Melanie Johnson: The phased implementation of the national chlamydia screening programme began in April 2003. Our estimate is that over 23,000 tests have occurred during 2003. Establishing local programmes does take time and some areas have only recently started screening. We therefore expect numbers of tests carried out to rise considerably in 2004.

Community Health Councils

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health where the archives of the former Leeds Community Health Council have been lodged; and how they may be accessed by hon. Members.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 23 March 2004
	The archives of the former Leeds Community Health Council are stored with the West Yorkshire Archive Service, Chapletown Road, Sheepscar, Leeds LS7 3AP. Access can be arranged by contacting the archive service.

Community Pharmacists

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the (a) time scale, (b) funding and (c) content of his Department's plans to integrate community pharmacists into the national IT programme.

John Hutton: The initial time scale, funding and objectives of the Department's plans for the national programme for information technology in the national health service (NPfIT) were set out in the strategy document, "21st century IT", published in June 2002.
	The key objective of the NPfIT is to support, over time, the delivery of integrated health and social care by enabling appropriate access to records and improved storage, sharing and management of core data by all clinicians—including community pharmacists—involved in the delivery of care to the patient, subject to confidentiality and security safeguards and the informed consent of the patient.
	We have redefined the scope of the electronic transmission of prescriptions (ETP) programme in order to support the wider pharmacy agenda. It will enable better use of pharmacists' skills and use them to provide patient centred healthcare services that are integral to the NHS.
	The ETP programme will enable the commitments made in "Delivering 21st Century IT" to be taken forward and will provide support for the broader pharmacy agenda outlined in "Pharmacy in the Future" and "A Vision for Pharmacy in the New NHS".
	Key elements of the electronic transmission of prescriptions system have been procured as part of the recently concluded NHS care records service procurements. Work is under way to plan how community pharmacies can be connected to the system and how their pharmacy computer systems can be upgraded to comply with the requisite technical specification. It is intended that deployment of the live system will commence from January 2005.

Complementary Medicines

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the availability of complementary medicines through the NHS.

Melanie Johnson: National health service access to complementary therapies is at the discretion of individual trusts and clinicians. A formal mechanism for commissioning primary medical services from a variety of providers will be available to primary care trusts from 1 April. This could be used to commission clinically-appropriate and cost-effective complementary therapies to help meet the needs of the local community.

Consultant Neurologists

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum waiting times were for initial access to consultant neurologists in each strategic health authority in England, in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 18 March 2004
	Information on the number of patients waiting for a first out-patient appointment to neurology specialties at quarter end has been placed in the Library. Information is not collected on the number still waiting less than 13 weeks. The information is aggregated at strategic health authority level but is based on national health service providers in England and includes some patients commissioned by Welsh local health boards.

Consultant Nurses

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant nurse specialists are working in elderly care in the NHS.

John Hutton: holding answer 24 March 2004
	The information requested is not separately available; consultant nurse specialists in elderly care are included with consultant nurses in the acute, elderly and general area of work. As at September 2003, there were 235 consultant nurses in the acute, elderly and general area of work, an increase of 37 per cent. over the previous year.

Contraceptive Services

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether general practices will be able to opt out of providing contraceptive services;
	(2)  what forms of contraception may be prescribed in NHS walk-in centres;
	(3)  what forms of contraception are available over the counter; and what plans he has to extend this range;
	(4)  what powers pharmacists have to prescribe contraception; and what plans he has to change this.

Melanie Johnson: General practices have always had the ability to decide whether or not to provide contraceptive services for their patients. Under the new general medical services (GMS) contract they will have to follow procedures to opt out of providing contraception as an additional service and, where they do so, for the first time primary care trusts will be responsible for securing alternative provision for patients affected.
	National health service walk-in centres can provide emergency hormonal contraception as part of their core services and may also provide condoms. They exist to provide one-off episodes of care and quick access to advice and treatment for minor ailments and injuries. Therefore, it is not appropriate for them to prescribe regular methods of contraception which require follow up and repeat prescriptions.
	Forms of contraception available over the counter are emergency hormonal contraception; male and female condoms, other female barrier methods (including the diaphragm or cap), spermicides and fertility devices. There are no plans currently to extend this range.
	Some pharmacists are supplying emergency hormonal contraception under patient group directions which require pharmacists to satisfy certain criteria before supplying these medicines. Also, some pharmacists have undergone an approved training programme to qualify as supplementary prescribers. Under such arrangements the supplementary prescriber is able to prescribe medicines for an individual patient following diagnosis by a doctor as part of a clinical management plan agreed with the patient. Pharmacists could, under these arrangements, prescribe oral contraceptives.

Eye Tests (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many residents in Crosby aged over 60 years have benefited from the abolition of charges for eye tests;
	(2)  how many senior citizens in Crosby have access to free eye tests.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		General Ophthalmic Services: Number of sight tests paid for by Sefton Health -- Authority for the years ending 31March 2000–03
		
			 Year ending Sight tests for aged 60 and over(40) All sight tests 
		
		
			 31 March 1999 — 42,210 
			 31 March 2000 21,830 57,070 
			 31 March 2001 24,320 58,850 
			 31 March 2002 24,220 58,400 
			 31 March 2003 26,140 55,730 
		
	
	(40) From 1 April 1999, all patients aged 60 and over were included in the group eligible for NHS sight tests. From October 2002, primary care trusts took over the responsibility from health authorities. Sefton Health Authority became South Sefton PCT and Southport and Formby PCT. The data for the PCTs has been added to give 2003 data
	Source:
	SBE515, Department of Health.

General Practitioners

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on (a) accident and emergency units, (b) the ambulance service and (c) NHS Direct of the new general practitioner contracts from 1 April.

John Hutton: The new contract for general medical services will enable strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to commission more integrated unscheduled care services, bringing together providers of primary medical services, NHS Direct, ambulance trusts and other providers to enhance the delivery of high-quality, continuous and holistic care.

General Practitioners

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the total cost to the NHS of general practitioner services in the last recorded year.

John Hutton: The table shows total general medical services (GMS) and personal medical services (PMS) expenditure for the financial year 2002–03.
	
		GMS and PMS expenditure, England 2002–03 -- £000
		
			  Strategic Health Authority expenditure Primary Care Trust expenditure Total expenditure 
		
		
			 GMS discretionary 989 863,371 864,360 
			 GMS non discretionary 1,116,722 951,003 2,067,725 
			 PMS 3,607 1,148,179 1,151,786 
			 Total 1,121,318 2,962,553 4,083,871 
		
	
	Sources:
	1. Strategic Health Authority Audited Summarisation Forms.
	2. Primary Care Trust Audited Summarisation Schedules.

Genetically Modified Foods

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the recent report published by the British Medical Association "Genetically modified foods and health: a second interim statement".

Melanie Johnson: In assessing the safety of genetically modified foods the Food Standards Agency ensures that the most up to date scientific knowledge is taken into account. The agency regularly reviews its research programme to ensure that gaps in scientific knowledge are addressed and has noted the points raised in the recent report by the British Medical Association where additional areas of research have been identified.

Getting Ahead of the Game

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which of the action plans announced in his report Getting Ahead of the Game in January 2002 have been produced; when he intends to publish them; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 March 2004
	The Department's infectious diseases strategy is entitled "Getting Ahead of the Curve" and identified four serious infectious disease problems requiring intensified or new control measures—health care associated infection, tuberculosis (TB), antimicrobial resistance and blood-borne and sexually transmitted viruses (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C).
	The action plans for healthcare associated infection and antimicrobial resistance have been encompassed within the Government's recent policy document "Winning Ways—Working to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection in England", published in December 2003 and available at http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/cmo/hai/winningways.pdf.
	The TB action plan that will be published in the next few months.
	"The National Strategy for Sexual Health and HIV Implementation Action Plan" was published in June 2002 and is available at http://www.dh.gov.uk/ assetRoot/04/01/95/90/04019590.pdf. A hepatitis C action plan to implement our consultation paper, "Hepatitis C Strategy for England", will be published in the next few months. We are keeping under review the need for a specific action plan on hepatitis B.

Health Development Agency

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 7 January 2004, Official Report, column 393W, on the Health Development Agency, what the level of income from sources other than government is; and what the sources are.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Health development agency income from non central Government sources -- £ thousand
		
			 Source/Purpose 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Income from rent of premises to Electoral Commission 0 597 93 
			 Policy and Communications 0 29 0 
			 Transport and health 0 0 5 
			 PCTs and Has 0 0 3 
			 Income for overseas (European) work and other fees 610 512 399 
			 Publications and merchandise and miscellaneous 87 54 87 
			 Conference income 0 21 110 
			 Total 697 1,213 697

Health Development Agency

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the Health Development Agency.

Melanie Johnson: The effectiveness of the Health Development Agency is kept under regular review as part of the annual ministerial accountability review process.

Health Funding

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make additional funding available to areas of continued population growth.

John Hutton: Changes in primary care trust population figures will be taken into account for the next round of allocations. Preparatory work will begin later in the year.

Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) cancer care and (b) heart disease in Lancashire in each of the last five years; and how many people from Chorley benefited.

Melanie Johnson: This information is not collected centrally. Allocation of funding for particular treatments is a matter for the primary care trusts involved.

Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of accident and emergency at Chorley Hospital.

Melanie Johnson: The Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust offers a 24 hour accident and emergency service at the Chorley and South Ribble District General Hospital. There are no plans to change this.

Health Services

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical beds there have been in Chorley Hospital in each year since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: Information on beds is collected on a provider basis from national health service organisations and not on a constituency basis. Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust opened in 2002–03. It was formed from the merger of the following trusts, Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust (acute services) and Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
	Relevant available Information on beds for the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust is shown in the following tables.
	
		Average daily number of available beds, by sector, Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust, 1996–97 to 2002–03
		
			  All specialties (excluding day only) Generaland Acute Acute Geriatric Mental illness Learning disability Maternity Day only 
		
		
			 1996–97 370 267 267 0 81 0 22 15 
			 1997–98 408 308 282 26 78 0 22 13 
			 1998–99 397 307 281 26 68 0 22 15 
			 1999–2000 410 310 290 20 75 2 22 18 
			 2000–01 420 320 304 16 74 3 22 20 
			 2001–02 1,228 1,066 903 163 70 5 86 48 
			 2002–03 — — — — — — — — 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03
	
		Average daily number of available beds, by sector, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, 1996–97 to 2002–03
		
			  All specialties (excluding day only) Generaland Acute Acute Geriatric Mental illness Learning disability Maternity Day only 
		
		
			 1996–97 — — — — — — — — 
			 1997–98 — — — — — — — — 
			 1998–99 — — — — — — — — 
			 1999–2000 — — — — — — — — 
			 2000–01 — — — — — — — — 
			 2001–02 — — — — — — — — 
			 2002–03 1,156 1,073 929 144 0 0 84 45 
		
	
	Note:
	The table contains the returns for both Chorley and South Ribble Trust and Preston Acute hospitals Trust to reflect the unified services and management structure across the Trusts.
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03

Health Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a diagnostic and treatment centre located in Crosby.

Melanie Johnson: There are no treatment centres in Crosby. However, a treatment centre is located at the Aintree Hospital National Health Service Trust and one is due to become operational at the Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust by the end of 2004.

Health Services

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been spent on health in Crosby in each of the last seven years.

Melanie Johnson: Public funding and expenditure figures are not collected on a constituency basis. Information is provided by health authority area from 1996–97 to 2001–02 and by strategic health authority area for 2002–03.
	The expenditure is the total expenditure by the relevant health authorities for 1996–97 to 2002–03, and includes the commissioner costs of the relevant primary care trusts for 2000–01-to 2002–03.
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Total expenditure by health authority area -- £000
		
			  Sefton Health Authority Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority 
		
		
			 1996–97 197,282 n/a 
			 1997–98 179,155 n/a 
			 1998–99 196,688 n/a 
			 1999–2000 225,349 n/a 
			 2000–01 310,887 n/a 
			 2001–02 331,929 n/a 
			 2002–03 n/a 2,755,985 
		
	
	Note:
	2002–03 data remain provisional.
	Sources:
	1. Health authority audited accounts 1996–97 and 1997–98.
	2. Health authority audited summarisation forms 1998–99 to 2001–02.
	3. Strategic health authority audited summarisation forms 2002–03.
	4. Primary care trust audited summarisation schedules 2000–01 to 2002–03.

Healthy Living Programmes

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2004, Official Report, column 393W, on healthy living programmes, when the Tavistock Institute evaluation will be (a) completed and (b) published.

Melanie Johnson: The fieldwork for the Tavistock Institute evaluation is due to be completed in late 2004 with a published report in 2005. Interim findings are already available on the New Opportunities Fund website at www.nof.org.uk.

Household Goods (Chemicals)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact on human health of man-made chemicals found in household goods, with particular reference to (a) perfluorinated compounds, (b) phthalates, (c) phenolic compounds and (d) brominated flame retardants; and what measures the Government plans to protect human health against the dangers posed by such chemicals.

Melanie Johnson: The Existing Substances Regulation (ESR) is European-wide legislation which required any manufacturer or importer of a chemical into the European Union to submit data to the European Commission. Substances were prioritised and have undergone comprehensive risk assessment, addressing both the human health and the environmental hazards and risks. Several chemicals from the phthalate, phenolic compounds, and brominated fire retardant groupings have been assessed, or are currently undergoing risk assessment. Those that have been agreed by Member States are publicly available on the website of the European Chemicals Bureau at http://ecb.jrc.it/existing-chemicals). In a number of cases, cross-European marketing and use restrictions have been introduced as a result of these assessments.
	Following the voluntary withdrawal from the market by the major producer of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), a hazard assessment of this chemical was undertaken under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Coperation and Development (OECD);this is available on the OECD website at www.oecd.org/dataoecd/23/18/2382880.pdf. This is now being followed up by the United Kingdom with a risk reduction strategy which aims to look at the remaining uses of PFOS and how they can be phased out.
	In addition, information on the hazardous properties and the safe use of chemicals in household goods is governed by the Chemicals (Hazard Information and Packaging for supply) Regulations 2002. These Regulations require that manufacturers must assess a chemical product for its health effects. If dangerous, the product must be labelled with a warning symbol and phrases indicating the dangers. The particular chemical(s) which cause the product to be classified must be named on the label. The Regulations also require that all potentially dangerous chemicals supplied to the public must be in packaging that is properly labelled and contains warnings about the potential hazards and giving advice on suitable precautions.
	Other regulations for protecting the consumer are the Department of Trade and Industry's General Product Safety Regulations 1994 (GPSR), which implement the EC General Products Safety Directive (92159/EEC) and apply to all consumer products (or aspects of those products) that are not covered by specific European safety legislation. The GPSR requires manufacturers to ensure that products present no risk or only minimal risk compatible with the product's use. In other words, producers must first take steps to reduce the hazard as far as possible, then warn about any residual hazard(s) and give advice about the precautions that consumers should take when using the product.

Human Embryos

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are laid down for the inspection of laboratories experimenting on human embryos.

Melanie Johnson: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 permits research using human embryos for purposes only specified in the Act. Any establishment wishing to carry out such research must be awarded a licence to do so from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), The HFEA's code of practice sets out the standards of conduct and practice expected of research establishments.
	The HFEA inspects research establishments to ensure their compliance with the Act, the code of practice and the conditions of the research licence. Inspections are underpinned by the use of protocols specifically designed to guarantee consistency and thoroughness of a research inspection. These protocols are regularly reviewed by the HFEA to ensure they remain effective.

Lymphoedema

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines are in place to ensure that non-cancer related lymphoedema patients, who do not have access to a lymphoedema clinic, receive appropriate compression garments as one of the recognised four cornerstones of lymphoedema treatment.

Stephen Ladyman: We have issued no specific guidance to hospital trusts and primary care trusts for the provision of compression garments to non-cancer related lymphoedema patients. Decisions on what treatments to offer to patients with lymphoedema are a matter for the clinicians in charge of their care.

Malnutrition

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people were diagnosed as suffering from malnutrition in (a) Greater London, (b) each London borough and (c) England in each of the last five years; and what his Department's policy is for tackling malnutrition.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 25 March 2004
	Malnutrition is caused by an imbalance of nutrients, particularly energy intake which impacts on body weight. Eating a balanced diet and keeping physically active help people to maintain a healthy body weight.
	The table shows the count of finished admission episodes for national health service hospitals in London over the last five years where the primary diagnosis is malnutrition and the age of admission was 65 plus. Data is available only by health authority of residence.
	
		Finished admission episodes by health authority
		
			 Health authority of residence 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 
		
		
			 Hillingdon 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Enfield and Haringey 1 2 2 o 0 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 1 1 2 1 0 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 0 1 0 2 0 
			 Kingston and Richmond 1 2 0 5 0 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 1 8 2 6 1 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 2 2 1 0 0 
			 Barking and Havering 3 0 0 2 1 
			 Barnet 0 0 2 0 0 
			 Brent and Harrow 0  1 0 0 
			 Camden and Islington 1 2 2 0 2 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 0 1 4 2 1 
			 East London and The City 3 2 2 2 0 
		
	
	Note:
	The table shows the count of finished admission episodes for NHS hospitals in England from 1998–99 to 2002–03 where the primary diagnosis is malnutrition and the age of admission was 65 plus.
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
	
		
			  Finished admission episodes 
		
		
			 1998–99 114 
			 1999–2000 98 
			 2000–01 109 
			 2001–02 128 
			 2002–03 112 
		
	
	Source:
	Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
	In the "NHS Plan" (2000), the Government made a commitment to reduce under nutrition by developing a hospital nutrition policy to improve the outcome of care of patients by 2004. A number of measures and strategies are in place to manage, monitor and screen patients for under nutrition in hospitals, residential care and the wider community. Nutritional screening is recommended for the care of specific groups, such as those outlined in the "National Service Framework for Older People" (2001).

Medicines and Health Care ProductsRegulatory Agency

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the information from the Yellow Card system is used by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Melanie Johnson: The Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are responsible for monitoring the safety of medicines in the United Kingdom. Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) submitted by health professionals through the Yellow Card scheme are an important source of information regarding the safety of medicines in normal clinical practice.
	The Yellow Card scheme primarily acts as an early warning system for the identification of previously unrecognised adverse reactions and also provides valuable information on recognised adverse drug reactions, allowing the MHRA/CSM to identify and refine the understanding of risk factors that may affect the clinical management of patients. The value of the scheme has been demonstrated many times and it has helped to identify numerous important safety issues. To date the MHRA/CSM has received more than 450,000 ADRs reports from the Yellow Card scheme.
	In evaluating a possible drug safety issue, the Yellow Card data is typically considered in conjunction with relevant information from other sources such as clinical trial data, published studies, adverse drug reaction reports received from the pharmaceutical industry and data from other Regulatory Authorities.
	Where necessary, to protect public health, the MHRA on the advice of CSM may take regulatory action to ensure the medicine is used in a way which minimises risk and maximises benefits to the patient. Possible actions include addition of a new side effect to the product information provided to prescribers and patients, and issuing warnings about groups of patients who should not be given the medicine. In rare circumstances, the MHRA may withdraw a medicine from the market, if the risks of a medicine in clinical use are greater than its potential benefits.
	Information on adverse drug reactions is communicated to health professionals and patients by the MHRA/CSM through various routes including patient information leaflets and regular safety bulletins.

Meningitis

Diana Organ: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what financial support his Department gives to the voluntary sector in providing continuing support for people affected by meningitis;
	(2)  what plans he has to grant section 65 moneys to the voluntary sector concerned with people affected by meningitis.

Melanie Johnson: The Meningitis Trust received a Section 64 grant from the Department to fund the Home Visiting Service project. This project supports individuals and their families who have been affected by meningitis.
	The total value of the grant awarded over three years is £83,100.
	The Department is continuing to fund the Home Visiting Service project at the Meningitis Trust in 2004–05.

Mercury Healthcare

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 March 2004, Official Report, column 861W, on Mercury Healthcare, if he will make a statement on the reasons why the Government decided to switch preferred bidder status from Mercury Healthcare to Capio UK in relation to the provision of a diagnostic treatment centre at Ashford Hospital, Middlesex.

John Hutton: It was decided to switch preferred bidder status after careful consideration of the detailed contract requirements for the spine chain. This is a complex contract that incorporates different clinical specialties, casemix and locations and it is important that the provider matches the needs of the national health service in each area.

Microsoft

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS will spend in 2003–04 on the licensing of Microsoft products.

John Hutton: The estimated spend for 2003–04 by the national health service on the licensing of Microsoft products is £53 million.

Microsoft

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to ensure that future ordering of proprietary software by the NHS ensures that the NHS will be able to purchase software from a wide range of suppliers at economic cost.

John Hutton: The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and the Office of Government Commerce have put in place a framework contract for information technology products known as GCat. The contract offers a comprehensive range of software to the national health service, at competitive prices, from a number of proprietary software and specialist software resellers.

National Programme for IT

Patsy Calton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the possibility of the loss of patient data while new IT schemes under the National Programme for IT are being implemented.

John Hutton: The national programme for information technology (NpfIT) is implementing a series of IT solutions to improve patient choice and the quality of patient treatment and care. Fundamental to this is the national health service care records service, that will enable patient care information to be accessed at the point of need anywhere in England.
	In most cases, electronic patient records will be transferred from existing local IT systems and patient administration systems into the nationally available NHS care records service. This is not a new process and occurs at local level every time there is a system refresh or upgrade. Standard IT protocols allow for data to be regressed if problems are encotmtered during transfer to ensure that data is not lost and contracts with suppliers require data back ups to be taken regularly.

National Programme for IT

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there is a facility in the National Programme for IT accredited systems for general practitioners to write free text notes on the patient in the electronic patient record.

John Hutton: The facility to record free text is a mandatory requirement for accredited systems for general practice. It is also part of the functionality of the national health service national care records service and this facility will therefore be provided for in the future.

NHS (Charges for Overseas Visitors) Regulations

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the provisions of the NHS (Charges for Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 will come into force.

John Hutton: The National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 came into force on 1 April 1989.

NHS Funding (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much public funding has been spent on (a) heart disease and (b) cancer care in Crosby in each of the last five years.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is not collected centrally. Allocations of funding for particular treatments are matters for the local primary care trust.

NHS Recruitment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health in which overseas countries the NHS has advertised for staff to work in the UK in the last five years.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 March 2004
	The Department does not collect this information centrally. The national health service are responsible for their own advertising. The Department has however advertised on behalf of the NHS in the following countries:
	Asia
	Australia
	Austria
	Belgium
	Canada
	Denmark
	Germany
	Greece
	Finland
	France
	Hong Kong
	India
	Ireland
	Italy
	Luxembourg
	Malta
	Netherlands
	New Zealand
	Norway
	Poland
	Portugal
	Singapore
	South America
	Spain
	Sweden
	Switzerland
	United States of America
	West Indies

NHS Recruitment

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for recruitment advertising in foreign newspapers for NHS staff; and how many NHS trusts are paying for recruitment advertisements in such newspapers.

John Hutton: holding answer 22 March 2004
	National health services trusts are responsible for their own recruitment both nationally and internationally and no data on the number of costs of their advertisements in the foreign media are held centrally.

NHS Trusts

Stephen Dorrell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which NHS Trusts reported financial deficits for financial year 2002–03.

John Hutton: The national health service trusts that reported deficits in 2002–03 annual accounts are listed in the table.
	Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust
	Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust
	Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
	Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust
	Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust
	Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Trust
	Burnley Health Care NHS Trust
	Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
	Ealing Hospital NHS Trust
	East Kent Community NHS Trust
	East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust
	East Sussex County NHS Trust
	East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust
	Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust
	Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust
	Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust
	Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust
	Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust
	Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust
	Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
	Medway NHS Trust
	Milton Keynes General Hospital NHS Trust
	New Possibilities NHS Trust
	Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland Mental Health NHS Trust
	North Bristol NHS Trust
	North Cumbria Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	North West Surrey Mental Health NHS Partnership NHS Trust
	Northern Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust
	Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust
	Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust
	Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust
	Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic and District Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust
	Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust
	Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust
	Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust
	South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust
	South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust
	Stoke Mandeville Hospital NHS Trust
	The Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust
	The Royal West Sussex NHS Trust
	United Bristol Healthcare NHS Trust
	West Middlesex University NHS Trust
	West Sussex Health and Social Care NHS Trust
	Weston Area Health NHS Trust
	Whittington Hospital NHS Trust
	Wolverhampton Health Care NHS Trust
	Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust
	Source:
	2002–03 Audited NHS Trust Summarisation Schedules.

Non-consultant Career Grade Doctors(Dermatology)

Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what action his Department is taking to encourage the NHS to make wider use of non-consultant career grade doctors in dermatology;
	(2)  what action his Department is taking to reduce the number of non-consultant career grade redundancies in dermatology arising from the withdrawal of primary care trust funding.

John Hutton: The Government are keen to maximise opportunities for doctors in the non-consultant career grades to utilise their skills to the full to the benefit of all. The Department's recent consultation document, "Choice and Opportunity", recommended a system of accreditation through which non-consultant career grade doctors with formally recognised skills can work independently at the appropriate level. The introduction of a competency-based framework should facilitate the movement of doctors between specialties to support a more flexible medical work force.
	Since 1997, the number of staff grade and associate specialist doctors in dermatology nationally has increased by 130 per cent.

Nursing Vacancies (Greater London)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) hospital and (b) community nursing vacancies there are within each (i) primary care trust and (ii) strategic health authority in Greater London.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 March 2004
	The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Paddington Basin Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on consultancy fees in relation to the Paddington Basin private finance initiative project for St. Mary's Paddington, the Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals.

John Hutton: holding answer 5 March 2004
	A total of £5.638 million has been spent to 31 December 2003 on advisers' fees for planning the Paddington Health Campus.
	All consultants are appointed via the formal national health service tendering process.

Pathologists

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for pathologists in each primary care trust area; and what plans he has for filling the vacant positions.

John Hutton: The information requested has been provided by employing organisations, and has been placed in the Library.
	The significant expansion in numbers of doctors in training within the pathology group (39 per cent. between September 1997 and September 2003) reflects a recognition that the pathology work force needs further expansion.
	In 2003–04, histopathology was allocated 75 centrally funded Specialist Registrar training places, which was over 18 per cent. of the total number of centrally funded posts available. In 2004–05, there will be a further allocation of 37 centrally funded training places to histopathology and 20 further posts to the pathology group as a whole.
	The Department continually monitors requirements for the whole work force, including pathology. Action is being taken to extend working lives by offering flexible retirement schemes and flexible employment opportunities.
	Work is being taken forward to develop the roles of all staff within the pathology group in order to make the best use of professional skills and knowledge.

Pharmaceutical Packaging

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rules apply to the use by a pharmaceutical manufacturer of tamper-proof packaging on a medical product; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The regulations covering the packaging of medicinal products makes no reference to the use of tamper-evident presentations. Any decision to use such packaging is a commercial decision for the marketing authorisation holder, provided the safety, quality and efficacy of the medicine is assured.

Prisons (Mental Health)

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on prison mental health services.

Stephen Ladyman: By the end of March 2004 national health service mental health in-reach teams will be operating in 90 English prisons where the need is greatest for these services. These teams will include 300 additional staff to provide specialist community-type services to over 5,000 prisoners with serious mental health problems in accordance with the NHS Plan. Investment in NHS mental heath services in prisons will double to £20 million a year by 2005–06.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) timetable and (b) budget for his Department's consultation on the Public Health White Paper is.

Melanie Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health launched a consultation document entitled "Choosing Health?" on 3 March 2004. Consultation will close on 28 May. We will publish a White Paper in the summer.
	The consultation process will be managed within existing budgets.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2004, Official Report, column 331W, on public health, when his Department's discussions with strategic health authorities will be concluded.

Melanie Johnson: Discussions with strategic health authority directors of public health about local public health reports are on-going.

Public Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer of 12 February 2004, Official Report, column 1697W, on Public Health Skills Audit, how the voluntary register is maintained; and what it contains.

Melanie Johnson: The United Kingdom public health voluntary register is an independent register of public health professionals who can demonstrate that they meet the nationally agreed competencies to practise at specialist level in public health.
	The register was established in May 2003 and is supported by all four departments of health in the UK and was commissioned by a multi-agency group consisting of the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH), the Faculty of Public Health (FPH) and the Multidisciplinary Public Health Forum (MDPHF).
	Further information is available on the register web site at www.publichealthregister.org.uk.

Rapid Access Chest Pain Clinics (Crosby)

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many rapid access chest pain clinics there are in Crosby.

Melanie Johnson: There are no rapid access chest pain clinics in Crosby. Rapid access chest pain clinics are located at Aintree Hospital National Health Service Trust and Southport and Ormskirk NHS Trust.

Science Strategy

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he has taken to enhance science in his Department, since the publication of the Government's science strategy, Investing in Innovation;
	(2)  how his Department's chief scientific adviser has ensured that the Department's scientific activities are well directed, as recommended in paragraph 7.11 of the Government's science strategy, Investing in Innovation, published in July 2002.

Melanie Johnson: Since July 2002 the Department has continued to work with its partners to sustain and develop the science base, and to develop policies and practice based wherever possible on sound science and research. We are building substantial portfolios of research in priority areas including cancer, coronary heart disease, mental health, services for older people and health inequalities. In June 2003, the Genetics White Paper announced new investment in research initiatives to translate genetic discoveries into improved care.
	The recent Budget report announced that the Government will work with the national health service, industry and the medical charities to strengthen clinical research in the United Kingdom. To support this work, the Department will increase the national health service funding for research and development by £100 million by 2008.
	The functions of Department of Health chief scientific adviser are carried out jointly by the chief medical officer and director of research and development in their respective capacities. The Chief Medical Officer is a member of the departmental management board and is also advised on scientific matters by the Chief Scientist. Details of how the Department's scientific activities are directed are outlined in its science and innovation strategy, which is available on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/research.

Sexual Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the extra costs associated with implementing in full the national screening programme for chlamydia immediately;
	(2)  what reasons underlie the decision not to implement throughout England a chlamydia screening programme until 2008;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of chlamydia infections that will go unidentified before the national screening programme is fully implemented in 2008;
	(4)  if he will estimate the cost to the NHS of (a) infertility treatment and (b) other treatment relating to chlamydia infections over the next 50 years.

Melanie Johnson: Reliable cost estimates of introducing the full chlamydia screening programme immediately are not available. The Government are committed to completing the screening programme for chlamydia at the earliest possible date.
	We believe that the phased introduction of screening, in line with advice from the national screening committee, is the most effective way forward. Local areas need support in establishing the programme which involves organising screening across a network of services and ensuring that samples are sent to laboratories, positive results are sent to individuals and that treatment, partner notification and contact tracing are undertaken. In addition laboratory staff are being trained to use the more reliable molecular amplification test, which we are supporting across all the regions.
	In just two years, the programme has been rolled-out to over a quarter of primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The third phase of the programme will be launched this year, which will bring total coverage to one third of PCTs.
	Estimates on future numbers of infections are not available. Estimates are also not available on the cost to the national health service of infertility and other treatment relating to chlamydia infection over the next 50 years.

Sexual Health

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 708W on sexual health, if he will provide total figures for England for each year.

Melanie Johnson: The total number of teenagers (patients who were less than 20 years of age) treated for sexually transmitted diseases in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England from 1995 to 2002 are shown in the table.
	
		Number of attenders at genitourinary medicine clinics in England aged less than 20 years with one or more of the following diagnoses: infectious syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, uncomplicated chlamydial infection, genital herpes (first attack) and genital warts (first attack)
		
			 Sex description 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Female 14787 16949 19479 20979 23018 25225 27346 29795 
			 Male 3986 4613 5664 6530 7768 9116 9694 11026 
			 Total 18773 21562 25143 27509 30786 34341 37040 40821 
		
	
	Note:
	The England totals shown here correspond to the total number of cases shown in the regional table given in the answer of 1 March, Official Report, column 708W. The strategic health authority data totals given in that answer differ from the regional data totals because these, and most of CDSC's other sexually transmitted disease data presentations, are calculated using an imputation method. Data below regional level are not imputed.
	Data source:
	Health Protection Agency, KC60 statutory returns from GUM clinics.

Sport

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department is giving to primary care trusts on how to raise levels of sport and physical activity to the Government target.

Melanie Johnson: The national service framework for coronary heart disease and the NHS Plan require local action to tackle obesity and physical activity, informed by advice from the Health Development Agency (HDA) on what works. The Department commissioned the HDA to conduct a review of the evidence on the effectiveness of public health interventions for increasing physical activity amongst adults. This will be published shortly. The guidance will be available to national health service regions, strategic health authorities and primary care trusts as well as local government. The launch of the consultation on public health, "Choosing Health?", provides the opportunity to discuss at a national, regional and local level what needs to be done to develop a coherent strategy to improve health. The activity co-ordination team will publish its draft proposals setting out current and future action to increase activity levels. The Government will then publish a White Paper setting out its strategy for action in the summer.

St. Helens Hospitals

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was spent on (a) healthcare as a whole, (b) general practitioner surgeries and (c) hospitals in (i) St Helens, (ii) Merseyside and (iii) the North West Region; and what the expected spending is in the next three years.

Melanie Johnson: The information is shown in the following tables.
	
		Expenditure on primary, secondary and total healthcare -- £000
		
			 For 2002–03 Primary Secondary Total 
		
		
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority area 457,271 1,360,679 1,817,950 
			 Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority area 614,022 1,742,178 2,356,200 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority area 578,008 1,894,710 2,472,718 
			 Total 1,649,301 4,997,567 6,646,868 
			 St.Helens Primary Care Trust 43,149 126,697 169,846 
		
	
	Note:
	Audited summarisation schedules of primary care trusts within the three strategic health authority areas 2002–03 data remains provisional.
	Sources:
	Audited summarisation forms of the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority, the Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority, and the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority 2002–03.
	
		North West Regional Primary Care Trust Allocations -- £000
		
			  A B C 
			 Primary Care Trust 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06  
		
		
			 Bebington and West Wirral 99,993 108,879 118,128 
			 Birkenhead and Wallasey 224,569 246,463 269,198 
			 Central Cheshire 203,159 222,612 242,996 
			 Central Liverpool 286,884 321,165 358,315 
			 Cheshire West 138,205 150,791 164,098 
			 Eastern Cheshire 161,386 175,727 190,654 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 77,814 84,726 91,920 
			 Halton 122,778 134,429 146,687 
			 Knowsley 163,276 183,010 204,420 
			 North Liverpool 118,120 132,316 147,710 
			 South Liverpool 100,413 110,029 120,103 
			 South Sefton 161,978 177,546 193,820 
			 Southport and Formby 115,701 125,978 136,676 
			 St Helens 181,808 199,906 222,113 
			 Warrington 163,513 178,963 195,266 
			  
			 Blackburn With Darwen 143,881 158,299 175,336 
			 Blackpool 151,874 166,655 182,076 
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 241,264 264,963 289,574 
			 Carlisle and District 102,316 111,989 122,216 
			 Chorley and South Ribble 171,696 188,153 205,458 
			 Eden Valley 58,439 63,669 69,113 
			 Fylde 63,955 69,679 75,636 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 103,859 114,072 124,674 
			 Morecambe Bay 289,864 316,293 344,226 
			 Preston 141,957 154,662 167,886 
			 West Cumbria 1 22,798 133,788, 145,227 
			 West Lancashire 97,085 106,387 116,168 
			 Wyre 112,822 123,458 134,710 
			  
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 291,575 319,620 348,930 
			 Bolton 250,490 274,908 300,262 
			 Bury 161,739 177,168 193,365 
			 Central Manchester 183,485 200,235 217,943 
			 Heywood and Middleton 73,694 80,879 88,338 
			 North Manchester 181,822 198,849 216,862 
			 Oldham 211,831 232,879 257,782 
			 Rochdale 128,790 141,263 154,258 
			 Salford 247,939 271,411 296,139 
			 South Manchester 138,532 151,887 165,832 
			 Stockport 251,919 274,293 297,789 
			 Tameside and Glossop 219,032 240,013 261,987 
			 Trafford North 88,212 96,O76 104,389 
			 Trafford South 108,726 118,389 128,446 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The allocations cover PCTs in the Strategic Health Authority areas of Cheshire and Merseyside, Cumbria and Lancashire and Greater Manchester.
	2. These are revenue allocation amounts and not expenditure figures.
	3. It is for PCTs in partnership with Strategic Health Authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising Services.

Telecommunications Masts

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the level of risk to public health to those living close to mobile telephone masts changes according to the type of mast.

Melanie Johnson: A review of recent research entitled Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, published by the National Radiological Protection Board's (NRPB) advisory group on non-ionising radiation concluded:
	"Exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations are extremely low, and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health."
	The Government along with other European Union Members States has adopted the exposure guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) as expressed in the 1999 European Council Recommendation 519/EC/1999. The operators of mobile telephone equipment including GSM, 3G and TETRA systems should ensure that public exposure does not exceed the ICNIRP guidelines.
	A substantial number of measurements of potential exposures of the public from base station emissions, have been made by a number of bodies, including the NRPB (www.nrpb.org) and the Radiocommunications Agency (now part of Ofcom) (www.ofcom.org.uk). In all cases exposures have been very much lower than the guidelines.
	I wrote to right hon. and hon. Members 21 January 2004 with a summary of the current position relating to mobile phone technology and health concerns.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of TB were reported in each month since 1997.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 March 2004
	The numbers of tuberculosis cases reported each week since 1997 are shown in the table.
	
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 
		
		
			 Year total 5,664 5,915 5,938 6,379 6,571 6,627 
			
			 Week number   
			 1 87 59 104 110 113 71 
			 2 102 110 111 135 116 177 
			 3 110 95 101 114 120 110 
			 4 111 108 109 98 126 110 
			 5 127 125 106 127 141 97 
			 6 111 123 126 147 130 151 
			 7 123 99 90 123 111 108 
			 8 100 104 106 108 112 152 
			 9 118 101 123 133 127 123 
			 10 107 135 124 105 101 109 
			 11 115 110 107 121 110 112 
			 12 126 93 105 141 124 138 
			 13 96 124 106 133 95 89 
			 14 88 107 103 126 147 92 
			 15 102 131 123 132 112 153 
			 16 123 79 131 155 116 163 
			 17 157 110 134 96 149 125 
			 18 94 102 94 133 154 170 
			 19 90 93 144 134 101 99 
			 20 133 133 174 146 146 154 
			 21 118 109 113 125 211 114 
			 22 102 105 99 105 111 225 
			 23 116 153 112 135 170 74 
			 24 105 114 124 109 159 150 
			 25 130 122 142 159 171 147 
			 26 102 124 148 120 128 177 
			 27 120 149 131 143 156 136 
			 28 91 112 142 120 145 124 
			 29 106 136 134 142 125 143 
			 30 115 140 99 129 169 144 
			 31 104 129 144 121 116 130 
			 32 126 107 141 116 142 156 
			 33 124 109 135 127 113 121 
			 34 113 111 115 167 115 134 
			 35 84 129 90 97 85 96 
			 36 111 53 119 111 131 127 
			 37 122 82 107 108 127 109 
			 38 119 138 122 137 134 120 
			 39 115 123 110 139 114 116 
			 40 94 119 104 131 130 152 
			 41 101 113 112 124 142 106 
			 42 94 129 98 124 101 102 
			 43 142 116 85 120 117 132 
			 44 114 124 123 124 116 115 
			 45 102 95 101 99 114 141 
			 46 86 109 100 121 97 127 
			 47 102 130 117 106 145 123 
			 48 1O6 103 114 101 152 114 
			 49 111 115 113 124 92 164 
			 50 102 137 80 83 108 120 
			 51 90 90 99 132 127 95 
			 52 77 104 44 63 57 90 
			 53 — 45 — — — — 
		
	
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.

Tuberculosis

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of multi-drug resistant TB was in each year since 1990.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 15 March 2004
	Routine surveillance of anti-tuberculosis drug resistance commenced in 1994. The incidence of multi-drug resistance since then is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 1993 0.8 
			 1994 1.5 
			 1995 1 .9 
			 1996 1.7 
			 1997 1.3 
			 1998 1.4 
			 1999 0.8 
			 2000 1.0 
			 2001 1.2 
			 2002 (41)1.1 
		
	
	(41) Provisional figure.
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency, Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre.

Websites

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total annual cost of his Department's websites, including those of its agencies, was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: Department of Health (www.doh.gov.uk and www.dh.gov.uk)The cost of the Department's website is shown in the table.
	The figures include hosting and maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs (using agreed Civil Service staff costs including salaries, common services etc.)
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost £000 
		
		
			 2002–03 1,844.0 
			 2003–04 2,799.8 
		
	
	The Department launched a new website on 16 February 2O04. It is available at www.dh.gov.uk. The old website was migrated onto 'DotP', the central government content management platform. DotP has been developed in partnership with, and is hosted by, the Office of the e-Envoy. The full cost of this major project is included incosts above, the majority of which will not be incurred in subsequent years.
	NHS Pension Agency (www.nhspa.gov.uk)
	All website development and maintenance work is covered under a single outsourcing contract with Envision and includes all information technology provision. No separate costs are kept on website specific work.
	The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (www.pasa. nhs.uk)
	The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency hosts and supports in-house two websites, www.pasa.nhs.uk, www.pasa.nhs.uk and an intranet site. The cost shown in the table covers all three sites. Separate figures are not available. These figures include hosting, maintenance, development and dedicated staff costs. Staffing costs are based on gross salary, but exclude employer's on-costs (National Insurance and superannuation).
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost £000 
		
		
			 2003–04 172.5 
		
	
	The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency—Medicines (www.medicines.mhra.gov.uk)
	The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) medicines arm is unable to isolate the cost of its website from its overall information technology costs.
	The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency—Devices (www.devices.mhra.gov.uk)
	The costs shown for the MHRA Devices website is for last complete financial year. Costs for the currant year are expected to be very similar. They include hosting and maintenance, development and staffing costs based on agreed Civil Service staff costs (including salaries, common services etc.).
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost £000 
		
		
			 2002–03 85.5 
		
	
	NHS Estates (www.nhsestates.gov.uk)
	The costs shown for the NHS Estates website are for last complete financial year. Accurate data for this financial year is not yet available.
	
		
			 Financial Year Total cost £000 
		
		
			 2002–03 267.1 
		
	
	The Department is responsible funding a number of other websites, such as NHS Direct Online and NHS Careers Website. For information on the cost of hosting, development and maintaining these sites, I refer the hon. Member to the response given to the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell (Mr Taylor) on Friday 12 March 2004, Official Report, column 1828W.